By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

- Last week: The Ricktatorship ended and the next phase of Glenn and Maggie’s relationship began (although it could end pretty fast if Maggie asks Glenn where he got the ring). Merle died, Daryl cried, then we all cried.

-It is The Walking Dead season finale, and I am going to miss it (Won’t miss Talking Dead as much). We open with the Governor beating the ever loving shit out of Milton and dragging him off to see Andrea in the torture chamber.  The Governor stabs Milton so he’ll turn into a zombie and eat Andrea. With a pair of pliers she gets out of the dentist chair she was handcuffed to, right as the undead Milton charges her. The Governor stages his assault on the prison, and after he has launched grenades all over the place, he notices that it is seemingly abandoned. As soon the Woodbury army enters the sealed area of the prison, flash bangs go off and Glenn & Maggie drive them out of the prison. Rick, Daryl, and Michonne go to take the fight to the Governor, and discover he killed most of his people when they refused to go back and fight at the prison. When they arrive at Woodbury, they find Andrea; who was bitten by zombified Milton. Andrea kills herself in front of a grief-stricken Michonne. With the Governor revealed for the monster he is, the surviving Woodbury residents come with Rick to live in the prison as the Governor plots his vengeance.

- Despite the fact we didn’t see the Governor get his comeuppance; this was a strong finale filled with heartbreaking losses, great character moments that will define them for next season and more, and we got some pretty cool action scenes.

- Andrea, you may have made some pretty bad decisions this season, but you will be missed.  Her valiant attempt to stop a war and save as many lives as she could ultimately failed and cost her everything. Not to tarnish the dead; but when the guy who is going to turn into zombie and eat you tells you to hurry up, you should hurry up. Despite that, Andrea was a good character who grew over her three seasons, and endured so much that she deserved a nobler end than what she got.

- Carl has officially become one black-hearted S.O.B. At first I thought he was going to be a little brat when it looked like the group was leaving, but I felt a little sorry for him because he is a good shot. Then a teenage soldier comes out of nowhere and surrenders; which is when Carl shoots him. His answer to Rick about why he did it is equally dark, but there is a twisted logic to it. He was forced to kill his mom killed because of a prisoner Rick didn’t kill, and is at war with a psychopath because Rick didn’t kill him when they met face to face. This is what happens to kids who are raised in the zombie apocalypse; their sense of right and wrong gets twisted. Rick dealing with both a psychologically scarred kid who needs help or another Governor in the making are huge parts of why I’m excited about Season 4.

- Rick can’t keep shutting potential allies out and killing anybody that isn’t part of his group, which explains his logic in letting the Woodbury residents live in the prison. We have all seen what effect that isolation method has on people like Carl and the Governor. He has to set an example for Carl so he doesn’t end up like the Governor. Why they abandoned a functioning town for a decimated prison I haven’t the foggiest idea, though.

- Did anybody else pick up on that moment between Rick and Michonne? Are the writers hinting at a future relationship or just messing with the fans?  Either way, expect of wave videos on YouTube who really want these two together. And if they haven’t come up with a mashed-up name for them, I’d like to throw out Mick.

- Didn’t see as much from Tyreese as I would have liked this season. But with the Woodbury residents moving into the prison and the potential conflict from these two groups in a confined space, Tyreese is going to step up for them and be an integral part of their co-existence. Which is going to be really important since the Governor is still alive…wait a minute…

- THE GOVERNOR IS STILL ALIVE?!  I get that David Morrissey is a good actor, and he is great in his role as the Governor, but how much more can we get out of the character? He is full on chaotic evil! This season has been building toward this conflict, and now that he is alive any time he comes back on the show will have diminished results. Maybe the writers will surprise me, but I’m not optimistic…

-Zombie Kill of the Week: Michonne slicing the heads of two zombies at once!

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

- Last week: Andrea finally left Woodbury and tried to kill the Governor (good for her). But she was captured and locked in the Governor’s torture chamber. Milton stopped Andrea from shooting the Governor and has earned my hatred. Tyreese did his best to stay in Woodbury but is beginning to question the Governor and his commands.

- This week: Rick and the group prepare the prison for the Governor’s imminent attack.  Troubled about what he will do regarding the Governor’s offer, Rick tells Daryl about his plan to give Michonne to Woodbury  Despite Hershel’s protests, Rick and Daryl agree that this is the best course of action. Rick goes to Merle to get his help taking Michonne to the Governor. While he gets his support, he is told he is giving her up to be tortured, and Woodbury might not stop attacking. Rick decides not to go through with it after he sees Ghost Lori (ugh, again), but Merle decides to abduct Michonne and deliver her himself. On the way, Michonne gets to Merle, decides to let her go, and take down the Governor and as many of his men as he can. Merle gets killed fighting for the group, Rick gives up his power, and Daryl is forced to kill Merle.

- This episode accomplished something I thought was impossible: It made me root for and then feel sorry for Merle. While some have said the characterization doesn’t make sense, it does when you think about how much Merle loves his brother. Even with all the bad things Merle has done, he still loves his Daryl and is willing to do anything to protect him. But Daryl will fight and die for the family he has recently made. Realizing Daryl won’t go with him, he takes Michonne and goes on his own. Whether he let her go because he wanted to be a better person, because of his loyalty to the group, or because he thought Daryl would hate him for it; he still decided to be a better man and sacrifice himself for his brother and the family he became apart of. His assault on the Governor’s crew by luring a herd of zombies and fighting the Governor to his last breath was great showcase of post apocalyptic badassery. The story wasn’t completely half-assed, it was driven by the well-established love Merle has for Daryl. Michael Rooker also gave us a great performance. Even though he was a mean, racist bastard; we all choked up a bit when Daryl found Merle as a zombie, didn’t we?

- Some other sides of Michonne were seen in this episode. She can’t break free from Merle physically, so she starts to talk him down. She could have been playing mind games with Merle, which shows she is not only deadly with blade but also a cunning manipulator. I prefer to see it in a different light. Michonne has always been a good judge of character. She could tell the Governor was a monster while everybody trusted him, and I like to believe she can see something in Merle that earned her forgiveness. Either way, this event added more layers to everyone’s favorite katana wielding badass.

- For the second time this season, our heroes have used a zombie horde as a weapon against the Governor. If the group were on a trading card with stats listed, the zombie horde would be the weapon of choice. Fingers crossed they go for the hat trick next week.

- Ghost Lori is back (a phrase that nobody said with any joy)!

- A smaller but no less significant development tonight was the end of the “Ricktatorship.”  His experience with the Governor and his realization that his own leadership is not completely foolproof has led him to the decision that the group as a whole is the reason they have made it so far. Glad to see Rick learn from his mistakes and losses so he can share the burden of leadership. I wonder if it will last for a while or switch back and forth between seasons.

-Glenn proposed to Maggie, yay! Though Glenn giving her a ring he took from the finger of a zombie is really messed up.  I mean, does Glenn secretly hate her? Because anything would be a better symbol of marriage then a ring off a dead person who wants to eat you. At the very least I hope he soaked it in alcohol, boiling water, or whatever was available to disinfect it.

-Zombie Kill of the Week: Michonne is back with her zombie decapitation via wire.

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

- Last week: Rick and the Governor had a sit down and tried to come to peace terms. The Governor was willing to let Rick’s group live in exchange for Michonne. But the Governor plans to kill them regardless of whatever deal was made.

- This week Andrea has finally had enough of the Governor’s deception and has left Woodbury to warn Rick about his plan. The Governor hunts for Andrea but she manages to get away. She almost makes it to the prison, but is captured by the Governor and is locked in his torture room that he designed for Michonne. Tyreese starts to have some serious reservations about working with the Governor, and starts to voice his dissent much to the chagrin of a member of his group.

- It might be said that this episode had a redemption theme. Not between any particular characters, but between Andrea and the viewers. She finally left Woodbury and really tried to kill the Governor.  This whole episode was filled with moments that made Andrea likable again, and made us almost forget all the foolish decisions she’s made this season. She left Woodbury, told anybody she could about how bad the Governor is, got Milton to get off his ass to take a stand, she tried to kill the Governor twice, and even when she was strapped to that chair in the Governor’s torture chamber you could see the rage in her eyes.

- If Andrea rid herself of her status as worst character on the show, then Milton has officially earned it, and may never be rid of it. Andrea had the perfect opportunity to take down the Governor and end this war before it gets worse. Milton was right about Andrea being killed for shooting the Governor, but the rest of his reasoning is weak.  He has seen all things the Governor has done and plans to do, and whatever good part of him Milton still sees is not going to overcome the Governor’s darker impulses (the nice guy doesn’t trump the guy who’s crazy and determined to build a torture chamber). His other point about Martinez taking over and the war continuing also has some holes in it. Martinez may not be as diplomatic as Milton, and he doesn’t put on the same diplomatic facade as the Governor does, but he definitely has more sanity. He has spent enough time with Rick’s group to know that they are not a threat. Everything would be better if the Governor was dead. Milton burning the walkers does not make up for it (as if there weren’t hundreds of others within driving distance).

- Tyreese also had a bit of redemption in his storyline. The last time we saw him he was giving Woodbury information about the prison. This week, we saw him be diplomatic enough to stay in Woodbury (which is a better than being stuck out in the wasteland), and he finally had enough of that one guy from his group who seems to have the burning desire to be the biggest asshole in the entire zombie wasteland. But he drew the line about what he would and wouldn’t do to stay, and killing kids was not one of them.

- There isn’t much that can be said about the scene in the warehouse apart from the fact that I loved it. The Governor taunting Andrea while she managed to stay one step ahead, the set loaded with crates creating a seemingly labyrinth layout, and then finally Andrea unleashing the zombies on the Governor. That was such a triumphant moment for her, which made it all the more tragic when Andrea gets captured just outside of the prison.

- Zombie Kill of the Week: Andrea taking down three walkers with one very tiny knife, and escaping from a zombie’s grasp by breaking its freaking arm.

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

- Last week: Tommy had finally gotten the cure for the zombie plague and was ready to save the world!!! If he could only get a ride and stop this goddamn hitchhiking. We also saw Morgan, and he wasn’t looking completely sane…

- This week, Rick and the Governor try too an agreement so both sides can learn to coexist. The Governor offers Rick a deal; he will leave the group alone if Rick turns over Michonne. Back at the prison, Merle tries to convince others to go and assassinate the Governor while he is vulnerable, but they decided to be honorable and not go through with it. Maggie and Glenn worked through their issues and decided it’s a good idea to have sex within a hundred yards of zombies.

- While this was mostly set up content for the inevitable war, I’ve been looking forward to this kind of episode for awhile, because we finally see Rick and the Governor meet face to face. They mostly tried to intimidate one another, and made a few offers to co-exist, but there were enough human moments that really made it distinctive. Andrew Lincoln was charismatic, even though he was just going through various phases of indignation. But you can see these little traces of his humanity and his own self-doubt that has been clearly evidenced recent episodes. Naturally, the Governor pounces on that. I’ve really enjoyed David Morrissey’s portrayal of the Governor this season, and we got to see a perfect example why he got the role as he shifts effortlessly from menacing villain, to the sympathetic leader who has taken whatever measures are necessary to protect his people (even though it’s all BS).

- The Governor starts off the negotiation clearly stating that he wanted nothing more than Rick’s surrender, and he is going into this knowing Rick and his group do not trust him one bit. But gradually, he wears Rick down with stories about his wife, his own reluctance about his role as leader, the strength of his army, etc. He is playing a game with Rick and is wearing him down to the point that he will seriously consider trading Michonne, even though he knows the Governor will not honor this deal.

-While the Governor’s character is still an untrustworthy psychopath, we do learn a bit more about him tonight that I believe sheds light on him. In the middle of the negotiation, the Governor tells a story about his wife dying in a car accident before the zombie outbreak. She tried to call him but he was busy at work getting bossed around by a man half his age that he did not respect in the slightest. He is a man who had all this potential and was powerless in the world that was. But the apocalypse happens, and suddenly he is a leader with people looking to him to protect them. The Governor telling Rick that he doesn’t like always being the one people turn to was a lie, of course. All he wants is power over this community he has created, and he is willing to do anything to keep that power. He killed National Guardsmen because they represented a threat to his right to be in charge. He wants Michonne dead above all others not just because she killed his daughter and took his eye, but she also reminded him of a time when he was powerless. Rick’s group is another community that has challenged him, and he will kill them all no matter what peace treaty is made.

-Will Rick turn Michonne over to the Governor?  He knows he can’t trust the Governor to live by his word, but he is also outgunned and outmanned. I don’t want to believe that Rick will trade her away for only the faintest promise of peace, but his conversation with Hershel and the fact he didn’t tell the group speaks volumes…

- I loved the moments between Rick’s group and the Governor’s group.  My favorite was the conversation between Daryl and the Governor’s henchman; it humanizes one of the Governor’s main soldiers and reminds us that these people are going to pay for having a megalomaniac as their leader…

- I wasn’t a big fan of the scenes in the prison, because until the end because they took away from the scenes at the grain silo.  But they did help close one more piece of plot and prove that love conquers all,  by having Glenn and Maggie apologize to one another (although Glenn was more in the wrong) and get their relationship back on track.

- Andrea has really been on a downward spiral this season, and this episode both did and did not help her. Trying to broker a peace is noble, and I admire her desire to protect those that would be caught in the Governor’s mayhem. But she also went back to Woodbury after all the things she learned from Rick and Hershel, and she told the Governor about the questionable paternity of Rick’s baby. What the hell, Andrea?!

- Zombie Kill of the Week: Daryl’s knife-throw to the head of zombie who he also hit with a bolt to the neck.

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part-Time Ninja

- Last week on The Walking Dead: Andrea appears to choose a side, Tyreese and his group are telling secrets to the absolute last person they should, and the Governor prepares for war.

- This episode is definitely one of my favorites so far and makes me feel optimistic about season four. The writer of this episode, Scott M. Gimple, is taking over as showrunner for next year.

- One of the reasons I liked this episode was because it was on a a smaller scale compared to what we saw last week. The Governor is still a looming threat and the whole point of Rick’s trip to his hometown is to get weapons and ammo; but it was limited to just three characters. This smaller story opened up some characters that had been closed off, and reminded us of what they have to fight for.

- Morgan is back, and the past year has not been good to him.  The last time we saw him, he was having a hard time pulling the trigger on his zombified wife. This came back to haunt him when he was out with his son, Duane, scavenging for food and his wife killed Duane. This caused him to lose whatever shred of sanity he had and drove him to pull off the adult version of Home Alone. Instead of seting boobie traps with paint cans and BB guns, it’s axes and assault rifles.

- Something that was bugging me this week: Where the hell did Morgan get all those guns and all that ammo?  I get that he scavenged stuff from people who came through town. But if a group came through with that much firepower or distribute that firepower among smaller groups, he would have been overrun!

- Morgan represents a new way people could react to a zombie apocalypse. Most of the survivors we’ve seen up to this point are either like Rick, who keeps pushing forward to survive for whatever reason; or like the Governor, who destroys anything he see as a threat and embraces the darkness inside him. Morgan doesn’t follow either of these paths. He closes himself off from the world, loses his mind, builds a prison that keeps intruders out and keeps him in, and he refuses to move on because his guilt has led him to believe he isn’t strong enough to do anybody any good.  What’s really tragic is that he is looking for a way to wash away his sins or get “clear.” But the best way to do that would be to go out into world and help Rick, or anybody else who needs help.  Yet he keeps building a bigger prison around himself, which stops him from finding his chance at redemption.

- From Morgan, Rick got a sense of what would happen if he continued to follow Lori’s ghost and give in to his guilt. He realizes what would happen to him if he failed to defend his family and the group. Whether he maintains or regresses is a matter for future episodes. But now he has some inkling of what could happen.

- Michonne got some much-needed development in this episode. She is still the same zombie killing badass, but we see that she has suffered as much as the others and that she is willing risk her life to help other members of the group. There is a question about whether she did this for her own benefit, though. At the start of the episode there was some discussion about the fact Carl didn’t trust her and she hasn’t worked that hard to get on the group’s good side. Motivations aside, it makes Michonne an even more interesting character to watch.

- Carl being back in his hometown is a nice reminder that he is still a kid.  When he sees the map of his hometown, he gets the idea to recover the only existing photo of his mom, which he knows is in the middle of a zombie-packed bar. It is the kind of incredibly naive yet noble idea that a 12 year-old-would come up with, and it reminds us that Carl is still a boy in this crazy world. He will still be the steely-eyed zombie killer who will pop up to shoot somebody, but it’s good to remind us he is not a complete sociopath.

- The sequence in the restaurant was very thrilling and big-ups to the effects team for not only creating the burnt zombie, but showing us what happened when Michonne slices its head in half.

- The bookend of the hitchhiker asking for help was a great creative choice. Anybody in a zombie apocalypse would have passed some random hitchhiker on the road, but you have to wonder if the events in town could have changed them enough to risk picking him up if he wasn’t dead. Do they feel any guilt about abandoning him after what they went through, or do they just accept it? The questions this hitchhiker opens up about the characters and what it takes to survive in this world are fantastic.

- For those curious, the song at the end was “Lead Me Home” by Jamie N Commons.

- Zombie kill of the week: Michonne stealth killing the zombie in the restaurant.

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

- Last week: Rick decided to go for a stroll in the middle of zombie infested wasteland, Glenn tried to be the leader, Daryl proved to be even more awesome, and the Governor wasted a perfectly good truck to drop off some zombies…

- This episode was definitely a lot slower than the last one. It was more of a set up for things to come with the re-appearance of Tyreese, and the highlighting of the the rift between Andrea and the group.

-There are still a few more episodes left, and while she is nowhere near as insufferable, I am prepared to proclaim Andrea as the new Lori. This distinction can go to any character for a variety of reasons, but the reason here is that Andrea still cannot leave the Governor and Woodbury behind despite so many red flags. At the end of the first season, she was willing to stay behind in the CDC and die in the explosion because the death of her sister and the savage nature of the zombie wasteland. In season two, she steps up to become a bona-fide zombie slayer rather than let the walkers get the best of her. But with her arrival in Woodbury, she sees something that is remotely close to the world that was. Michonne points out that she essentially abandoned her for a warm bed and comfortable living (compared to what they endured during the winter). Despite the bond she forged with Michonne, she was willing to abandon her not just for creature comforts, but the idea that she could have something similar to the life she once had. Now she is struggling with the fact her sanctuary has been exposed for what it really is, and the group that she truly belongs with doesn’t fully trust her; making her decision to stay in Woodbury all the more tragic. I liked Laurie Holden’s performance even though the writing could have used some work. Big ups to Danai Gurira for conveying the rage of someone whose friendship was tossed away casually.

- So happy to see Hershel call out Rick on his recent crazy spell. He may not have started off as the voice of reason on this show (keeping zombies in a barn makes you temporarily ineligible), but after seeing Rick jabber on about how important it was that he was seeing Lori (first time anybody said that…) Herschel stepped up and pointed out that it’s about to hit the fan, and Rick must step up if he is wants to continue being the leader.

- The Governor has started to strip away any semblance of a friendly town in the middle zombie country by drafting every citizen of Woodbury able to carry a gun regardless of age. Not the worst idea, but definitely a hint of things to come. The Governor clearly doesn’t care how creepy he might come off, because listening to what I believe was Chopin on a reel-to-reel player (does he think vinyl records are too mainstream?) in the dark just screams unhinged.

- Rick’s crazy has had the unintended and catastrophic side effect of driving Tyreese to the Governor, who now has intelligence about the layout of the prison. Kind of shocked about how willing Tyreese was to give information about a group he himself considered pretty decent (except for Rick) to someone who considers them the enemy. Also, who wants to take bets on how long the two guys from Tyreese’s group who were eager to storm the prison with the Governor will last? They are definitely going to be dead by the end of the season.

- No major fallout from Merle joining the group yet. Surprised Glenn hasn’t beaten him bloody. Just a heads up to people: If a zombie apocalypse happens and you have acted like Merle, telling people they are more than likely going die in an attack, followed by a half-assed apology to someone you tried to kill is not the best way to get on their good side.

- Loved the scene with Beth singing to the group for a second time this season. The first time she seemed hopeful for a new home in the prison; this time highlighted how the prison is slowly becoming their tomb.

- Zombie kill of the week: Although it wasn’t a kill, the zombie neutering was brutal enough to warrant the award.

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TITLE: Aliens: Colonial Marines
PLATFORM: 360, PS3, PC, Wii U
DEVELOPER: Gearbox
PUBLISHERS: Sega, 20th Century Fox
ESRB: M
RELEASED: February 12, 2013

By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part Time Ninja

No matter what you do, you are going to screw up sometimes. It could be something small or big, but the important thing is to move on and learn from it. I have tried to apply this completely to buying video games because their price is ridiculous. While I have done a pretty good job at not wasting my money on bad games, I recently screwed up by spending my money on Aliens: Colonial Marines.  There are some parts of it that I really had a blast with, but on the whole I found it dull and unfulfilling.

Set several months after Aliens, the Marines receive a distress call from the Sulaco, the spaceship from Aliens that was supposedly destroyed in Alien 3, orbiting LV-426. Faster than you can say retcon, a team of colonial marines is dispatched to investigate. And wouldn’t you know it, the xenomorphs show up and everything goes to hell! The surviving marines must find a way to get off the planet, while fighting hordes of aliens and soldiers from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation who are still trying to control the xenomorphs for their own gain.

The thing I enjoyed the most in the game was the sheer joy of killing xenomorphs. As a fan of the series, being able to wield an M-41A Pulse Rifle or Hick’s shotgun and shoot aliens filled with me the kind of joy that can only be replicated by having Christmas with my family, partying with my friends, and punching Justin Bieber in the face all rolled into one. The game also adds a few things to the Aliens mythos that are interesting and work to expands the game’s own world.

The shooting elements are solid fun if not innovative; the excitement of the missions starts off slow but pick up as the game goes on. The multiplayer is okay with some variety in the formats that you can play, but the scale of the games is limited. The high point for me was a particular level where you find yourself stripped of all weapons in a sewer that is filled with xenomorph corpses; your goal is to get out of the sewer by sneaking around living xenomorphs. The tension that builds from the very start of the level, the little callbacks to film, the lighting, the level design, etc.; there was so much that I loved about this level and I really hoped with all my heart that the rest of the game was this good.

But it wasn’t. The whole game feels like a generic shooter at best.  The initial fun I had came from my love of the film. But that doesn’t last long, and you soon start to see the game’s flaws. With one level, the designers showed that they had the ability to create a great game; but rest of it is handled like any other shooter. The aliens have moments when they are the terrifying force of nature that they we know they are. But they generally act like cookie-cutter enemies with generic AI that can any gamer is used to. You know where they are going to attack and when it is going to happen. Instead of facing a swarm of aliens intent on doing all manner of horrors to you, most of the time you will see about five of them and after awhile you can figure out how they are going to attack you. After an hour or two, you will become bored and the game doesn’t offer any drastically different enemies, weapons or missions to shake things up.

The story is a bit questionable to begin with, and to top that off the ending feels abrupt. The whole game is set up on a premise that is essentially a massive retcon, and if you focus on it for a minute, the whole thing falls apart. Instead of trying to answer some of the questions or apply some logic to the events, they’re never really addressed in a good way and it feels like they are just set up to be answered in a sequel that may never come.

Aliens: Colonial Marines had the potential to be a great game that continued everything that made the film it’s based on great, while while adding to it. But what we got (and I spent my money on) was a pretty boring game that, despite having its moments and being filled with a lot of things fans of the movie will go crazy for, feels like bad shooter with loads of untapped potential.

RATING: 5/10

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By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part-Time Ninja

-Last week, Rick was driven mad with Lori returning (some fans were driven to a different kind of madness, as Lori is the worst), scaring Tyreese and his group away (please come back soon). Daryl also left the group to be with his brother, and the Governor is clearly plotting some vicious retaliation…

-Can we make it official and call Daryl Dixon the superhero of the zombie apocalypse? He has a dark origin story, saves people with no intention of collecting a reward, has a Batman level of skills, and superhero timing. Michonne’s a close second, but as has been evidenced in the final part of this episode, she is a terrible shot.

-So happy that we finally got some time with just the Dixon brothers.  Their relationship has been built up since season 1, and to see them together for the first time, and having it not be a hallucination was great.

- If there was a theme for this episode, I think it is the idea of getting back up after being knocked down. Both groups have taken losses and endured a shock to the way of life they were accustomed to; and the characters react in very different ways.  Rick wanders in search of a sign everything will be all right and is oblivious to the fact he has gone crazy. The Governor gives up his friendly façade to indulge his need for vengeance. Glenn tries to be a gung-ho leader and solve every problem, but his mind is focused on proving he isn’t any weaker for being tortured, when that’s not what is needed. Merle is still Merle and trying to hide in the wilderness because he cannot step up and take responsibility for his actions. The only person actually dealing with the fallout from the recent events is Daryl. He accepts what happened to him, but has enough sense to realize it is the zombie apocalypse and he needs to push forward if for no other reason than to help his surrogate family at the cost of his brother.

-Rick is finally starting to understand the pressures of leadership. Since the end of season 2, Rick has made it clear it’s his way or the highway, which makes any mistakes or casualties his fault alone. This is a type of leadership he can’t handle, and he retreats from the group. Andrew Lincoln does a decent job of conveying the tortured psyche of a man who can’t seem to shoulder the burden of what he has lost, but his performance does veer a little towards the unintentionally funny.

-Despite what others may think, I believe Glenn could be effective leader.  He has been shown to have clear head for sorting out what needs to be done to survive and keep his humanity in the zombie apocalypse. But the leadership position he is in doesn’t come naturally; it is forced upon him at the worst possible time. His desire to show he can be the leader is just hiding the fact he was powerless to help Maggie and tortured by Merle. I’m looking forward to what will happen now that Merle has joined the group and how Glenn will react.

-Poor Axel; he’s a prisoner who becomes a part of this tight-knit group, finally gets to tell his story, gets close to Carol, and then he gets shot in the head. In retrospect, the first few things I mentioned were all clear signs he was going to die.

-The Governor’s assault on the prison is brutal, and the glee on his face during the attack reveals how unhinged he has always been.

-Zombie kill of the week is a no brainer: Daryl smashing the trunk on a zombie’s head.

-I wasn’t a big fan of the Talking Dead show to begin with, but now it is an hour long and they have a band at the end. Is AMC trying to make this show their version of a late night talk show? What’s next, a boring monologue filled with zombie related puns and an animatronic zombie head as the sidekick? Get your head out of your ass AMC, you are the network that gave me Breaking Bad and you are better than this.

Images from amc.tv.com.
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TITLE: Mama
STARRING: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash
DIRECTOR: Andres Muschietti
STUDIOS: Universal Pictures, Toma 78, De Milo Productions
RATED: PG-13
RUN-TIME: 100 min
RELEASED: January 18, 2013

By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part-Time Ninja

“What the @$#% just happened???”

I’m pretty sure that was what every single member of the audience thought about the ending of the new horror film Mama. The film is filled with examples of stuff I’d like to see in more horror movies, and an ending that I don’t totally agree with, but that I respect.

After years of searching and nearly going broke, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) finds his missing nieces after his twin brother murders their mother and kidnaps the girls. They’ve been alone in the wilderness for five years and regressed to a feral state.  Lucas and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), win custody of the girls and try their best to help them get used to civilization; until they realize something has come back with the girls…something that is not human.

Nowadays, so many horror films rely on the cheapest of tricks to try and get the audience jumping out of their chairs. Director Andres Muschietti avoids relying on most of these and instead develops his scary moments by making sure his characters don’t notice the ghost or the feral children behind them. For actually crafting scenes to maintain a level of creepiness through setting up a scene, framing the shot, clever use of sound effects and then unleashing all the horror that has been built up, I salute Muschietti for showing others how to make a scary movie. I’d also like to salute Javier Botet, the actor who with a little CGI help portrays the titular ghost and does an amazing job.

Along with genuinely scary filmmaking, there is an emotional story at the heart.  The growth of Annabel from child-hating punk rocker to a mother who is still a punk rocker at heart is very well-acted by Chastain, and provides emotional stakes for when things go wrong.

While the film gets many things right, there are several things it gets wrong. The subplot about the aunt wanting custody and the psychiatrist are necessary to move the story forward, but take away from some more interesting elements. Showing us a little bit of the ghost throughout the movie works really well, but it starts to lose its power near the end. On the subject of the ending, you are either going to love it or hate it. But it is pretty dark, and in truth I’m still bouncing around whether I like or dislike it.

Mama is the type of horror movie that is well made, and doesn’t rely on cheap tricks for the most part to send shivers down a person’s spine. I hope we see more films like this in the near future, as well as more from the filmmakers!

 RATING: 8/10

All images from rottentomatoes.com.
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TITLE: The Last Stand
STARRING: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzman
DIRECTOR: Kim Jee-Woon
STUDIOS: Lionsgate, di Bonaventura Pictures
RATED: R
RUN-TIME: 107 min
RELEASED: January 18, 2013

By Seth Miller
Staff Writer, Part-Time Ninja

He’s back.

Well, now that I got that out of the way I can tell you about The Last Stand, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first lead role in years. In recent years we’ve seen action stars come back to show us they’ve still got what it takes to fill a theater and keep the audience on the edge of their seat, and now it’s Arnold’s turn. While there is some nostalgic fun seeing Schwarzenegger in action, the film feels too restrained to be fun.

Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) is a former LAPD narcotics officer who gave up that life in favor of a quieter career as a sheriff in the small town Sommerton Junction. A notorious drug lord stages a breakout and is racing to Mexico in a souped up car the FBI can’t catch up to. The only thing standing in his way is Owens and his motley crew of deputies.

The nostalgia that swept over me as I saw Schwarzenegger back in his element started off strong, but gradually faded. Still, The Last Stand is enjoyable. He may be older, but he still has enough star power to carry a film. The action scenes are exciting for the most part, although one or two were bit flat. The car chase in the cornfield and the final fight on the bridge were my personal favorites.

The biggest problem The Last Stand has is that if you are not a fan Schwarzenegger’s, it really has nothing to offer. The characters consist of one dimensional heroes, ridiculous villains, and some one liners thrown in for good measure. These are trademarks of the bulk of Schwarzenegger’s films. If you are fan then you can deal with it, and in fact, may be longing for it after all these years without the big man on screen.

In truth, a large portion of the film felt like it was being done with a certain amount of restraint, at least until the last act. The bulk of it felt rather generic and dull, unless you’re a fan of Schwarzenegger and are looking for a nostalgia kick. Still, it’s nice to see Schwarzenegger back out there, showing fans that he still has the chops to make an action film.

RATING: 6/10

Front page image from cbssanfran.wordpress.com. Interior image from prefixmag.com.
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