Throwback Thursday: Ticks (1993)

“I’m infested!!!!!!”

Loaded with successful actors in various stages of their careers, 1993’s Ticks is a lot better than it should be considering the fact that it was a direct-to-home video release. The movie tells us the story of a group of teens facing various personal demons who go out for a little natural therapy with counselors, only to find themselves face-to-face with mutated, steroid-infested ticks. Yep, steroid-infested ticks that are a result of run-off from a local drug dealer’s marijuana plot that’s trying to boost the strength of his crop by using steroids. It all sounds a little ridiculous, but it’s such great fun.

The special effects in the film are all practical and the result of a team that includes Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero. The ticks grow larger as they feed and in what is probably the coolest effect in the film, one of them grows from within one of its victims and bursts out of the person in all of its gory glory. While you have to suspend disbelief at times, the effects are a welcome sight when today’s “movie magic” is almost always created with lacking CGI.

The film doesn’t stray too far from the standard “monster in the woods” flick. The troubled teens and their leaders get in bad situations and have to use their wits to battle not just the ticks, but the drug dealers trying to protect their crops. There are a few victims, of course, but really only a couple of heart-tugging deaths. There’s no nudity and the language isn’t too strong, but the gore is top notch.

Fans of television and film will recognize many of the names of the film’s cast. It includes a young Seth Green, who would go on to much bigger and better things in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer series and many, many more projects later, and Alfonso Ribeiro, who was in the middle of a highly successful run as cousin Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The film also stars Peter Scolari, who maintained a very successful career in television for decades, appearing on shows like Bosom Buddies, Newhart, and Evil, and in films like That Thing You Do!, The Polar Express, and Looks That Kill. Another name that viewers may recognize is Ami Dolenz, an actress who found consistent work in television and film throughout the 1990s. Oh, and let’s not forget Clint and Rance Howard, who both have small roles in the film.

Ticks was a nice surprise that I found while looking for something to watch one evening. I definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of gory monster films. Plus, it’s pretty cool to take a trip down memory lane with Scolari, Ribeiro, Green, Dolenz, and the Howard boys. Give it a look if you get a chance.

Thanks for checking out my post.

Louisiana Comic Con Next Weekend!

“Bow to your sensei!”

Rex Kwan Do is headed to Lafayette, LA on March 14th and 15th at the Cajundome Convention Center for Louisiana Comic Con! Diedrich Bader (Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite, multiple animated series, The Drew Carey Show) is just one of many, many guests that will be in attendance at this year’s event. Louisiana Comic Con is one of my favorite conventions and I’m returning once again as a part of the Filmsquatch crew. Be sure to stop by my table and say hello!

Not only will there be a ton of celebrity, comic, artist, and author guests, but there will be some amazing cosplayers as well including the brilliant Strangecat Cosplay (who is my favorite Nightcrawler cosplayer), the amazing Miss Oo La La, and the crazy talented Lady Luna Loveless! Some of the other guests include cast members from Supernatural, professional wrestlers, voice actors such as Alexander Gould and Megan Shipman, Power Ranger cast members, the one and only Rhonda Shear, and a ton of other guests.

Be sure to visit the Louisiana Comic Con website for more information and I hope that I get to see you at the convention this year!

Scream 7 (2026)

“I’m gonna make everyone you love suffer.”

Despite moving to a new town and establishing her family there, Sydney Prescott has to face off with an old enemy, Ghostface, one more time. Neve Campbell reprises her role as Sydney for the sixth time in 2026’s Scream 7. Returning are Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, Roger L. Jackson as the iconic voice of Ghostface, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin. Newcomers (possible victims) include Isabel May as Tatum Prescott-Evans (Syd’s daughter), Joel McHale as Mark Evans (Syd’s husband), Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, Sam Rechner, Ethan Embry, Anna Camp, Jimmy Tatro, Michelle Randolph, and a few surprises.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!! You’ve been warned!

Scream 7, simply put, is a really good slasher film that doesn’t quite feel like a Scream film. Directed by the man that wrote the original Scream film, Kevin Williamson, who co-wrote this film with Guy Busick, the movie is a serviceable horror flick with a surprisingly good amount of jump scares and entirely too many characters. The film focuses on Sydney and her daughter, which I really liked about the film, but tosses in Gale in a flimsy aside and the Meeks-Martin kids in a subplot that is as forgettable as all of the teen victims in the movie. It’s almost as if Williamson had two movies going at the same time. The first film is Ghostface in hot pursuit of Sydney and Tatum and the second film is sort of a “Heck, GF needs to kill a few people to establish his/her dominance.” That second film is weak and, as already mentioned, pretty forgettable.

I would have enjoyed the film a lot more if it just focused on the Sydney/Tatum plot and left the teens for a sequel. There was zero attachment to the teens in the film and the Meeks-Martin kids don’t have enough of a legacy built up for them to carry a subplot where they are pretty much ineffective and in the way. Courteney Cox also felt like she was just tossed in because they had to have Gale appear in the movie.

The thing that bugged me the most about this film is the use of AI Facetime calls instead of Ghostface’s traditional phone calls. Sure, they had a few of Ghostface’s signature cellular moments, but the Stu Facetime calls were goofy. I know that they used AI because it’s a current hot topic, but Scream fans want to hear Ghostface terrorize his victims on the phone, not use poor Stu’s scarred up face. It felt forced and is the primary reason that this film did not feel like it was part of the franchise.

Scream 7 is a very good slasher film with some excellent action, surprisingly good kills, and some really, really terrible AI calls. Both Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox are as beautiful as ever (my man moment, sorry) and they gave great performances even if Cox had a greatly diminished role this time around. Just give us another film with the real Stu Macher and Sydney driving a knife into their story and let Tatum take the reins.

Tunes: Gene Simmons Band

February 20, 2026

Many of you know that I love KISS. Heck, I dedicated an entire year of my blog to the band in celebration. With that said, I decided to skip the Gene Simmons Band performance at L’Auberge Casino Lake Charles because I didn’t know if I’d actually get off of work in time to see the band play. As the date grew closer, however, I longed to go to the show. Whether it was luck or divine intervention, I actually won a pair of tickets to the show from KKGB, Rock 101.3 and got to see the band perform.

I’m so glad that I did.

Gene opened the show with Deuce and followed that up quickly with Shout It Out Loud. He then took a breather and talked to the crowd, something that would happen a number of times throughout the show. Simmons would ask for the house lights to be turned up and then he’d interact with the crowd. He made dirty, funny comments, called a young woman in the Air Force when her parents approached the stage and asked him to do so, and called fans on stage to help out with songs. These breaks were actually very cool, and you could clearly tell that Gene and the rest of the band were having a blast. It was a very well put-together show that had a very loose feel to it. It was more like seeing your cool uncle play at the local bar……except that your cool uncle is Gene Simmons.

As the show rolled along, Simmons and company played a number of KISS Klassic tracks and a few deep cuts that were quite surprising. Simmons acknowledged the death of his good friend and former bandmate, Ace Frehley, by playing Frehley’s Parasite, Strange Ways (first time played live by the Gene Simmons Band), and Rocket Ride (never played live by KISS, first time played live by the Gene Simmons Band). He also played another Ace-penned track, the KISS live standard Cold Gin.

Deeper cuts from the KISS catalogue included Charisma from the Dynasty album, Domino from Revenge, and I from the nearly never acknowledged Music From The Elder. Other tracks included KISS standards like I Love It Loud, War Machine, Calling Dr. Love, and Rock And Roll All Nite. Overall, it was an amazing show and I highly recommend checking out the Gene Simmons Band if they come to your town.

The Gene Simmons Band played a great show. From blistering rock tracks to excellent crowd banter, I’m so glad that I won tickets to see one fourth of my favorite band on stage with three amazing artists. I love it loud, and GSB delivered.

Complete Setlist:

  1. Deuce
  2. Shout It Out Loud
  3. War Machine
  4. I
  5. Domino
  6. Parasite
  7. Strange Ways
  8. Charisma
  9. Rocket Ride
  10. Cold Gin
  11. Guitar/Drum Solos
  12. I Love It Loud
  13. Calling Dr. Love
  14. Let Me Go, Rock n’ Roll
  15. Rock And Roll All Nite

Gene Simmons Band: Gene Simmons (vocals and bass), Jason Walker (vocals and guitars), Brent Woods (vocals and guitars), Brian Tichy (vocals and drums).

A Strange New Year

Everything Ends

I promise that I won’t spoil anything about the series finale of Stranger Things in this post. I still want to give a brief rundown of what I enjoyed about it, however. I thought that the series finale did a great job of bringing the series to a close. Sure, some characters didn’t return and others weren’t mentioned at all, but the core characters (and a few side characters) were given some type of closure in the finale. Heck, one was even given a very open ending that I really appreciated.

The cast has certainly grown, literally and as actors. In particular, Gaten Matarazzo went through a ton of development and changes and handled them well. Noah Schnapp also had some rather heavy scenes and did a fine job of conveying his emotions. Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin (Mike and Lucas) seemed to be tied down to their relationships in the series, and this hurt their overall development. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) seemed to be going through the motions at times, as did David Harbour and Charlie Heaton (Hopper and Jonathan). Joe Keery and Natalia Dyer (Steve and Nancy)were standouts across the entire series, making two fairly one-dimensional characters some of the funniest, strongest, and most caring individuals in Hawkins. Winona Ryder (Joyce) got lost in the shuffle this season, but was given one shining moment of glory that I believe will stick with people more than any other moment in the final season. Sadie Sink’s performance was stellar as Max, but she was often weighed down by extended monologues and bad writing. Maya Hawke’s Rockin’ Robin was a bit heavy handed at times, but she did just fine in the series overall. Sadly, we learned things about Jamie Campbell Bower’s Henry in the final two episodes of the series that made me want to know more about the character, but that may not happen unless the rumors of spinoff shows are true.

The primary thing to know about the Stranger Things series finale is this: It isn’t perfect and some storylines and characters will not be given the resolutions that everyone is hoping for in the series. You’ll all just have to deal with it. I enjoyed the series overall and loved the finale. Watch it if you haven’t had the chance.

Thanks for reading my review.

Throwback Thursday: Hurricane Laura And Ninja Turtles

Hard to believe that it’s been five years….

While looking through some old posts, this one from December 20, 2020, the year that Hurricane Laura destroyed my family’s home, popped up in my search string. Although today is December 11, I decided to reblog this old post. Maybe it’s because I’m turning fifty next year, but I’ve been feeling really nostalgic lately and I have been revisiting good and bad memories. This one is particularly bad, one of my worst memories, but it’s what makes me who I am. We’ve all been broken in different ways, but it is when we are broken that we can mend ourselves into something stronger.

Oh, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ornaments that I mention in this old post actually survived the hurricane. My KISS ornaments, however, have been lost. While I’d love to have my KISS ornaments back, having the silly Ninja Turtles ornaments is fine enough for me.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

A Different Christmas

Throwback Thursday: Wicked (1998)

“Dad, you love me, don’t you?”

Tonight we’re taking a trip all the way back to 1998 when Julia Stiles was still a relatively unknown actress, a mere year before her breakout role in 10 Things I Hate About You and three years before her starring role in Save The Last Dance. Yep, tonight we’re visiting with a relatively unknown gem called Wicked, not to be confused with the recent musical and Disney films which are VERY different from this particular flick. Also, while Wicked premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, it wasn’t accessible to general audiences until its home video release in 2001.

In the film Stiles portrays Ellie, a fourteen-year-old girl who has a very unhealthy relationship with her father. When her mother is brutally murdered in their home, Ellie amps up her affection for her father, going so far as to dress in her mother’s sexy clothing and applying a lot of makeup to make herself more appealing to her father. She also prepares meals and keeps her little sister, Inger, in line with brutal discipline. Her father soon develops a relationship with the family’s former housekeeper, Lena, and when their marriage is announced, Ellie spirals out of control, forming an unlikely bond with her neighbor, Lawson, who also happened to be her mother’s lover behind her father’s back. A persistent detective attempts to hunt down the murderer of Ellie’s mother, but as he gets closer to the truth, things get even more insane. Who killed Ellie’s mom? Why did they kill her? Will anyone else die? Find out in the surprisingly fun and creepy Wicked.

This film features an amazing cast and the story itself makes you uncomfortable and queasy. Julia Stiles outdoes herself as Ellie, who becomes increasingly vicious as the story rolls along. Her father, portrayed by William R. Moses, is just as creepy and unlikable as you’d expect him to be and is quite hard to feel any emotions for in the film. Vanessa Zima portrays young Inger with sugary sweetness at first, but even her character takes a dark turn in the movie. The rest of the cast includes Michael Parks as Detective Boland, Linda Hart as Ms. Potter, and Chelsea Field in a brief role as Ellie’s much despised mother, Karen. Of special note is the performance of Patrick Muldoon as Lawson Smith, Karen’s dimwitted lover and the eventual cohort of Ellie.

I highly recommend this film. The cast do a wonderful job of making you feel sick, creeped out, and generally not willing to like any of them. The story moves along at a nice pace and is definitely worth a look. It’s available currently on a number of streaming services including Amazon Prime and Plex.

Thanks for checking out my look back at a truly creepy gem of a film.

Spin Master Batcycle RC

“There is no stopping the Batman.”

Yes, I ripped that quote from Teen Titans GO! To The Movies because that series is geared towards children (and adult-sized kids like myself) just like Spin Master’s Batcycle RC is aimed at the same demographic. This is a very simple RC motorcycle that fits the included 12″ Batman figure. It’s pretty cool-looking as well. It is the perfect gift for a youngster or a Batman enthusiast of any age.

The Batman figure can be placed directly on the bike. It’s a pretty tight fit and can be a tad difficult to get Batman in place, but once you figure out his positioning, he stays put. His arms have loose joints which allow Batman’s arms to shift with the turning of the bike. The bike will also hold other twelve inch figures, but without loose arms, it will be difficult to turn the bike.

The controller is very easy to use. One knob makes the bike go forward and backward and the other knob turns the bike left and right. The bike’s speed is controlled by how hard you push the forward/backward knob. With just a little practice, it’s easy to master this controller.

If you like Batman or just want a simple RC bike to play with, Spin Master’s Batcycle RC is definitely a good option.

Thanks for checking out my review.

Focus On: Ace Frehley

April 27, 1951-October 16, 2025

I know that I’m a little late posting about the tragic death of the legendary Ace Frehley, but I wanted to post about him after Thirty-One Days O’Horror so that I could give his death my full attention. As many of my readers know, I’m a massive KISS fan and have been for a very long time. Back in 2022, I spent an entire year celebrating all of KISS’ studio albums including the four solo albums. The first solo album that I reviewed was Ace’s album. It has long been considered the best album out of the four. There have been theories abound about why the band decided to release the four solo projects in 1978. One theory is that they were released in an attempt to bring the band closer together after a number of years of backstage fighting amongst the members of the group. Others believe that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley came up with the solo albums idea in order to put Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in their place, expecting both of them to flop tremendously with their albums while Gene and Paul’s albums would be massive successes. Ace’s album proved to be the most popular one and over time, has become the most successful of the solo albums.

One thing Ace’s solo album did do was prove that he could write and perform music without the help of his KISS bandmates. It may or may not have been the catalyst that eventually lead to Ace leaving the band in 1982, but in any case, he did just that. This would lead to a string of solo albums, the first two being released under the moniker of Frehley’s Comet. His fourth album, Trouble Walkin’, and the six releases after it, were all released under Ace Frehley’s name.

While Ace didn’t achieve the massive success as a solo artist that he experienced while in KISS, he remained a relevant rock star throughout the 80s and, much like KISS, began to fade as the decade came to a close. In 1996, Ace rejoined Gene, Paul, and Peter and embarked on a successful reunion tour. Ace remained with the band until 2002 when he made his second exit. He would experience something of a renaissance with a string of six amazing solo projects beginning with Anomaly in 2009 and ending with 10,000 Volts in 2024.

Ace’s relationship with KISS has always been a bit tense, but just months before his death he talked about his close friendship with Gene on a podcast. He also addressed a number of his experiences, good and band, with KISS in his memoir, No Regrets (2011), a book that I highly recommend. He was also very open about his battle with alcoholism and took great joy in hearing of fans who won their own battles with alcoholism after being inspired by him.

Ace fell in his home studio on September 25, 2025 and ended up on life support due to a brain bleed. The life support was turned off on October 16, ending the life and career of Ace Frehley.

Ace’s death hit me hard. I cried on a number of occasions as I watched old interviews, listened to his music and the music of KISS, and just sat alone thinking about him and his work. I’m no musician, but I always describe his playing style as drunk, sloppy, yet clean. He always sounded, in my opinion, as if he was about to lose all control of his hands on the guitar, but he played so ridiculously well. His style sounded sloppy, but it was beautiful and much more intricate than he was ever credited for it being. Ace was the coolest guy in KISS and he was cool with zero effort. He just WAS cool. It didn’t matter if he was ripping out a solo or telling jokes or laughing his ridiculous laugh, he was cool the entire time. That’s a rare quality in people, especially rock stars. Most of them try very hard to be cool by changing their image, acting a certain way in interviews, or doing things for attention. Ace wasn’t like that, Ace was just Ace twenty-four seven. The guy would literally stroll into a Walmart and buy the five and ten dollar tees that average folks would buy and then wear them to meet-and-greets. Ace is credited with designing KISS’ iconic logo. He’s the reason so many guitar players have a lightning bolt guitar strap. He was Ace Freakin’ Frehley, the Space Ace, a “plumber,” and one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

Rest amongst the stars, Space Ace. You will never be forgotten.

Thirty-One Days O’Horror 2026!

Thirty-One Favorite Horror Films!

You’ve survived 2025’s heaping helping of horror films, but are you ready for 2026! You’ve got less than a year to prepare as next year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror will be personal! Ken of Ken’s Alternate Universe will be reviewing (and in some cases, re-reviewing) thirty-one of his favorite horror films! Some of them won’t shock you, but a few of them just might take you by surprise!

See if you can pick out any of my favorite film’s before October 1, 2026. If you pick five or more (minus the ones in this post), I’ll give you a shout out in 2026’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror!

Feel free to send me a list of your favorite horror films as well. Who knows? Maybe I’ll fall in love with one of your favorites and it’ll make my list next year!

Thanks for all of your support!