TEXAS CHAINSAW : THE BUZZ IS BACK

In 1974 a film was released that became legendary. When it was made no one could foresee the future of this film or of its main character. But it not only became famous it became a cash cow for many films that followed as well as numerous marketing options. Surprisingly this horror film contained very little blood, but it was so well made that to this day it stands the test of time and can cause reactions from intense fear to gut wrenching nausea.  Believe it or not this was 39 years ago. So it's time once again for another sequel except this time it's done a tad different than most.

TEXAS CHAINSAW (or add 3-D if you have that at home) begins with the end of the original film. Not only that it encapsulates that film in a montage of clips that lead to a sheriff coming to the house shortly after the end of that film as well as several other clan members of the Sawyer family. He calls for them to come out but as they're about to a local vigilante mob shows with vengeance on their mind. Ignoring the sheriff they torch the house and kill all inside. The lone survivor, a baby girl, is taken away by one of the vigilantes to be raised as his own.

Fast forward to the present and we find the young baby all grown up. The young woman, Heather, receives a letter from an attorney and discovers who she really is and that she has an inheritance to collect from her recently deceased grandmother, Verna. Along with her boyfriend and another couple, who have planned a trip to New Orleans, they veer off towards Texas to see what she's inherited. Along the way they pick up a hitchhiker also on his way to Louisiana.

The lawyer meets her at the gates to her property and hands her a set of keys, a package and a letter from her grandmother with instructions to open and read it first. Of course these instructions are ignored when the youngsters enter the grand old house at the end of the drive. Impressed with the posh setting, they head to town to gather supplies leaving behind their new friend the hitchhiker. Bad choice.

He quickly begins ransacking the place for things to steal and uses the key to scout out the house. A secret room in the kitchen includes a stairway to a cellar. Once there he finds a locked door and as he gets ready to open it, there we have Leatherface in all his glory. And Leatherface doesn't take kindly to a thief.

Heather and friends return to find the slight damage done and begin to get down to making dinner. Her best friend then hits on her boyfriend in the barn while that girl's date starts dinner only to also discover Leatherface. When Heather comes across him in the cellar, she's caught but escapes with Leatherface on her tail. Suffice to say that blood runs and only Heather eventually gets away.

It is here the story makes a nice twist and we find out that the mayor is none other than the leader of the vigilante mob from all those years ago. He still runs things like he did then and sets out to end this semi-Hatfield and McCoy style feud between families once and for all.

This is one well made horror film. Not only does it pay tribute to the original by starting with it, it ignores all other remakes and sequels and also includes at least 4 cast members from the very first film in minor roles. Beyond that it takes what could have been just another slasher film and gives it some meat by crafting a well done story around it. With any film made these days, it leaves room open for a sequel but it does so in a way that makes sense.

The look of the film is great with night time shots done so that you can actually tell what you're looking at. The acting is much better than one would expect in a horror film, especially by Alexandria Daddario in the role of Heather. The pacing is smooth and the film makers here made the wise choice of keeping the film at a reasonable length (92 minutes) rather than extend what remains an exploitation film with a bigger budget.

The scares are there and, since it was done in 3-D, the tossed items at the camera are seen as well but not enough to distract from the story. The jumps scenes are included and yes, you will jump. The gore is there but no more than seen weekly on THE WALKING DEAD on TV. But at its heart this sequel to the original looks back fondly and reminds us that horror isn't always about what we see but what we picture and create in our minds. What we thought we saw is often more gruesome than what we actually witnessed. This movie makes the skin crawl and the hair on your arms rise. Isn't that what a good horror film should do?

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THE ABCs OF DEATH: HOW TO KILL A CAREER

I've loved many of the horror films that Magnet has been releasing over the past few years. While V/H/S had its ups and downs there is no way you could say that it wasn't a formula that worked in this situation, having several noted horror film directors make pieces of a complete story that interconnected. So one would think that their newest release, THE ABCs OF DEATH, would be a good movie too. Unfortunately that's not the case.

The situation is similar but more overblown. Rather than 4-5 directors this time we have 26 directors, one for each letter of the alphabet, given a letter and told to make a short piece involving death. Some run no more than 2 minutes and some longer, but each one is a miniscule time capsule where they allowed the director complete free reign to do as they felt and make whatever they wanted, no holds barred. That doesn't always turn out to be a good idea as is evidenced here.

Some of the pieces are actually quite good given the time and budget constraints. Some are mediocre which you might expect. The surprising thing is the number of terrible pieces involved here that seem to outweigh the good ones. Some even go so far as to be as offensive as they possibly can. If you choose to watch keep in mind that the Japanese sense of horror and film is far more outlandish and extreme than anything witnessed in this country. Gore and blood doesn't so much flow in these pieces so much as spew forth in an alarming amount as if blood vessels were connected to garden hoses rather than a single heart pumping the fluid through a body.

The more I've thought about this the worse the movie has actually gotten. I watched it last night and decided to let that sit a while before writing. Rather than make the film more palatable it's made me dislike it even more. It opens with a gory beginning piece that uses extreme make up effects to good use when the final punch line is delivered but doesn't remain in that format for long. The better of the pieces are found in the beginning of the film and from there it becomes weirder, more unusual, more graphic and more offensive.

Everything can be found here that would please those who seem to think that the world wants exposure to the worst forms of humanity possible. Freddy and Jason are child's play to the things witnessed here. Just to give you a run down of ideas here are some of the things you will witness in this film: Japanese girls who enjoy breaking wind, a women with a 6' by 1' thick penis that includes a giant switchblade sword, claymation toilet monsters, a contest where contestants masturbate while witnessing sexual scenes that start with a nude woman and end with a child being raped (not seen but inferred, still totally tasteless and excessive) and lastly a miscarriage turned into a joke (not funny for those of us who have lived through such a circumstance). I have no doubt that in criticizing such items I will be labeled a prude and told that I just don't understand art. This is one time when I find that more of a compliment than an insult.

It's not always a bad thing to have film makers push the boundaries a bit. It sometimes leads to some amazing films. The problem lies when they push the boundaries simply to just push the boundaries, just to shock or simply to just see what they can get away with. That almost always leads to poor film making, poor judgment and just bad movies as is witnessed here.

Have I seen films where worse happens than in this film? Sure. Find out about NEKROMANTIC of AUGUST UNDERGROUND and you'll discover what I'm talking about. While those to films have a cult/underground following this film is being marketed as a more mainstream film. Somehow I think that the neighborhood where this film is considered fun or entertaining is far past Elm Street, Mockingbird Lane or the neighborhood of the Addams Family. Unless you just have to see it or enjoy crap posing as art, then my recommendation would be to bypass this film as quickly as possible and pray that a sequel is not in the works.

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A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: BACKWOODS GHOSTS

It seems that everything ghostly has become a part of today's culture. Not only are there three major ghost hunting series on TV now but shows about haunting and paranormal experiences have flooded the airwaves. While ghosts have been the subject of numerous movies it's rare that these stories are done justice. With the release of A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT a few years ago that changed. Enough to warrant a sequel which has now ended up going straight to DVD.

A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA has nothing to do with Connecticut nor the ghosts found in that first film. Apparently the producers wanted to start a franchise and felt that A HAUNTING IN GEORGIA would not have been a clear enough title for fans of the first film. I think viewers are smart enough to figure this out, even more so if a new state were added with each film. I doubt all 50 states would have been hit though.

Once again "based on a true story", we have the Wyrick family who have just moved into a new house with a large acreage for their young daughter to roam around in. Bought cheap (never a good sign) and empty for some time now things begin to happen right away. Heidi, the little girl, starts talking to a man she calls Mr. Gordy and he's started telling her things about the house and property. This might seem like an imaginary play pal except for the history of Heidi's mother.

Lisa Wyrick is trying to get over a problem she's had for years, one where she hears voices in her head and sees things that aren't there. On medication she's rejected what her mother and her sister believed, that their family is gifted with "the veil". This gift gives them the power to see things others don't which would of course include dead people. Sister Joyce has moved onto the property with Lisa, Lisa's husband Andy and Heidi, living in an old trailer near the house. While Heidi's mother tries to tell Heidi there's nothing there, Joyce explains what "the veil" is to her.

Mr. Gordy at first seems to be a benevolent ghosts going so far as to let the family know where some old money was buried. But when they begin looking into his past they're not quite sure. Further delving reveals that Mr. Gordy's grandfather was a taxidermist who used the property to aid slaves heading north, a part of the famous Underground Railroad. Heidi and Lisa both begin to see the images of slaves on the property with Heidi feeling nothing is wrong but Lisa still trying to ignore all she sees.

When things begin to go bad, including the disappearance of Heidi only to be found in a strange pit, they bring in a local preacher to help rid her of what they think is a possession. But there is more going on on this property than anyone realizes and a history that is far darker than anyone knows or could imagine.

That dark back story makes this movie more interesting than most. Many will toss this movie off as just another straight to DVD feature that doesn't stand on its own merits but I would beg to differ. The story was well thought out and the reveal is one most won't see coming. Extras on the DVD include talks with the original family, Heidi now grown up, talking about what they experienced while living there.

There are a few jump scenes in the film but this movie doesn't play on the scare factor and relies more on the story to make its points. It offers some nice entertainment value and will be a movie that makes a nice starter point for people wanting to discuss ghosts and whether they actually exist or not. The production values are extremely well done unlike some horror films where night scenes are so dark as to not be able to see anything. In this production everything from the camera work to the acting is well done.

My guess is there won't be another HAUTING IN film made. I would think that this film would be passed over in light of other major releases coming out at the same time. But if you're looking for something a little creepy that offers and interesting story along with a few scares then you might want to give this one a try. 

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MIMESIS: LOW BUDGET WITH HEART

There always have been and always will be low budget movies. They cost little to produce compared to blockbuster pictures and the return on investment is enough to get people to back them up financially for the most part. The problem is that there are some that completely stink and thus return nothing. So when a good one comes along you definitely want to sing praises for it.

Now keep in mind that good lies in the eye of the beholder. With that in mind I whole heartedly recommend MIMESIS. The movie opens with horror geek Russell and his friend Duane at a horror fan convention (from the looks of things it's the Motor City Nightmares Convention). While they listen to director Alfonso Betz (Sid Haig) discuss how people shouldn't blame real life violence on movies, Duane thinks it's a waste of time and would rather be hustling some honeys. The chance, of course, presents itself when a Goth girl approaches them during lunch with a pass to a secret party that night.

The duo arrive at the party and seem to have a good time with the exception that they're drugged and awake the next morning to find themselves dressed in new clothes and placed in a select location. Horror fans will recognize immediately what is going on here between the costumes and location. If you're not a fan be aware SPOILER ALERT. Russell wakes next to a girl he met the night before wearing a black suit, thin black tie and black leather gloves. The girl has her blonde hair in a scarf and is wearing a green dress and light beige coat. Their location? A graveyard. Yes this is a recreation of THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

But not really. Instead each person who was drugged the night before has taken on a role from that movie. Duane is the hero of the film, two parents and their child star prodigy have taken on the roles of the family from the film, a friend is now the teenage boy and the goth girl his girlfriend. Each of these wakes from their drugged sleep to encounter what appear to be zombies chasing them. When one is killed in front of the others and gnawed on they begin to wonder is this real or something else?

You should be able to quickly figure out what is happening here but I won't reveal just in case. Suffice to say that it makes for an entertaining and original concept here. Just who are the bad guys and why are they doing this? Are these really zombies? Is all of this just a bad dream? Watch and see.

A nice touch here is the tribute to the original film that is hidden beneath the obvious re-creating of the whole movie by this group forced to play out their roles. This tribute lies in the names of the characters here. Each one is based on either a character or an actor from the original film. A nice touch that again fans will notice immediately.

It's apparent that this movie was made on a shoestring budget but that never seems to get in the way of things. Sure the acting isn't Oscar worthy but the cast does a great job and display the potential to go further. The effects aren't so far over the top as to be unbelievable and the photography is well done and used for effect often.

While MIMESIS may not go down in history as the greatest horror film or even the greatest tribute to a horror film it does offer the goods sought out by fans. It even makes the fans the central characters in both good and bad guy roles. This is one of those movies that would make a great double feature fun fest on any Friday night party.

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IT'S IN THE BLOOD: A LOT FROM A LITTLE

For some reason Hollywood seems to think that the more money you toss at a film the better it will be. The failure of some of the costliest films ever made should have taught them that that isn't always the case. Another thing that should have taught them better is when incredibly low budget films produce large offerings of talent and story. Such is the case with this film.

October (Sean Elliot) is returning home to visit with his father, a man he lost touch with several years back. Just why they lost touch is never explained until later in the film, but we know there was some horrific event in their lives that caused October to drift away.

Russell (Lance Henriksen) is the local sheriff and he's been waiting for the day his son would return. The trauma that separated the two is in the past and his hopes are that with a camping trip in the local woods things can be set straight.

Things take a turn for the worse when Russell thinks he sees something in the woods turns to shoot at it and falls from a low hanging cliff to the rocks near a river. The result is severely fractured leg that October, a med student, can set but that will impede their ability to get back to their car. Besides the injury the other main concern is this creature that is attempting to kill both father and son. Just what this creature is becomes a plot point in the film.

While the pair try to combat the monster that stalks them, a quick and vicious creature that they both see on and off, they stick close to a tree they fortify with spear like defenses and begin to simply talk to one another. The conversations they have are not long winded or lengthy but each one reveals more and more of the characters and their affections for one another that were cut short with the tragic event they both shared.

Flashbacks that are dropped in as hints eventually reveal the entire story. Without giving away anything I will say that they involve father and son and a young girl that Russell brought into their lives years ago who grew into a lovely lady that October was in love with. With each snippet of film that shows the three characters growing older and changing with time we see the closeness of this family. Not until late in the film are we shown what happened and honestly it wasn't something that was easy to guess at early on.

As Russell's wound grows worse and the chances of their survival dwindle, October realizes that if they will live it will only happen two ways: either he will have to get help or he will have to confront the creature that is stalking them. Can he confront this evil? Will either of both survive? And what of that mysterious event that happened long ago?

The best and most impressive thing about this movie is the acting on display. I'm new to Elliot but he does an admirable job in the role of October. Henriksen does his usual stand out performance. A star of many low budget films he has been an actor that has turned in more outstanding performances than anyone would give him credit for. Henriksen is one of those actors who can take a small role and make it seem outstanding. You would be hard pressed to find a bad performance from him.

The movie is a great example of what I call a slow burn, a story that unravels itself rather than just throw it in your face during the first 15 minutes. Movies like this are rarely made these days due to what I consider the MTV generation, a group of young movie goers who want everything placed in front of them and want it now without having to wait or think things out. One day I hope they discover how they short change themselves from classic films and from movies like this one. Who knows, maybe they'll discover it and it will make them seek out others.

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ASSASSIN'S RUN: WHO KNEW BALLET WAS A MARTIAL ART?

Even a low budget film can look good and entertain. Most people don't know that. Most think that if they've never heard of the movie playing at the local multi-plex then it can't be any good. I'll grant you that many low budget films might not equal what you find in the latest STAR TREK installment but there are some that offer some quality made offerings. Sure their roots lie in exploitation but that doesn't mean that the entertainment quota isn't intact.

Such is the case with ASSASSIN'S RUN. Featuring the perennial straight to DVD star Christian Slater in a supporting role it's a decent action flick that offers up ballet as a martial art. Yes, you read that correctly.

Slater stars as American businessman Michael Mason, an entrepreneur in Russia who sees the potential for vast wealth. When some documents come up missing Mason is killed before he can look deeper into just who is trying to ruin his business and take all the money at the same time. Unfortunately ties to the Russian mafia are also in the works and they aren't pleased when they discover the money is missing. The only lead they can find is Mason's wife, prima ballerina Maya (Sofya Skya).

Maya and Mason's daughter is taken away and Maya framed for murder. Sent to prison there is little hope to escape and even less that she will ever be released. Even Mason's best friend and partner Roman (Cole Houser) can't seem to get her out. When fellow prisoners try to make her talk and eventually kill her, she decides the only person who can help her is herself.  

Trapped in the tiniest of cells Maya begins a non-stop workout of ballet moves that she can then apply towards combat. The next encounter she has in the yard with the intent of her demise she pirouettes a few facial kicks and takes out her deadliest foe. Having made one friend she escapes and sets out to find not only her daughter but who killed her husband as well.

With only one friend to turn to, someone Mason told her to contact should anything happen, she goes down the path of revenge. Her chances are slim but then again this is an action flick where revenge is the best path taken and almost always succeeds.

The movie offers some interesting fight sequences that are not only well choreographed but photographed well too. We don't get the now standard extreme close up fight sequence but have the opportunity to witness the sweeping blows and kicks that Maya comes up with. Could real ballet become a martial art? Doubtful but it makes for a good movie.

The acting is higher quality than one would expect in a straight to DVD film. Slater offers a commendable though short performance. He deserves better. Skya shows great potential here and let's hope to see more of her.

While this isn't the best movie around you could do much worse. If you're looking for some straight action fare that leaves several lose plotlines lying about then give this one a try.

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ANGER MANAGEMENT SEASON ONE: WINNING...SORT OF

Everyone is well aware of the ups and downs of actor Charlie Sheen's life over the past few years. Some love him, some hate him, but for the most part I think the majority of American's have the same opinion about these well publicized turmoil's: who cares?

Celebrities seem to garner attention for the worst behavior possible and people these days seem to think that's cool. It doesn't say much for us does it?

But Sheen has come back from the wild ways he displayed and attempted to not only create a new series that he can star in but that can poke fun at his past behavior at the same time. ANGER MANAGEMENT stars Sheen as Charlie Goodson, an ex-major league baseball player who in a fit of rage tried to break a bat over his leg...only to injure himself instead and thus ending his career. Seeing the light so to speak he in turn became an anger management therapist with a successful private practice. He still occasionally finds himself on the verge of anger but seems to catch it most times.

Charlie's main focus is on a group he offers therapy to in his home. They run the stereotypical range from grumpy old guy to total whack job girlfriend. While some of these characters have moments that might make you laugh on the whole they become more cardboard cutouts than actual people you get to know.

Charlie's character has situations he's chosen to be involved in here that become focal points of various episodes. For one he's divorced but still of fairly good grounds with his ex. Well good in the sense of average sit-com good. Shawnee Smith stars in this role and she's had better parts but holds up well here. The two share a daughter in her early teens which makes for some storylines as well. Of course the things Charlie wants for his daughter and how he wants her to behave are far different from the young girls he hits on throughout the series.

When he's not attempting to bed a young girl he meets randomly he's involved with another therapist played by Selma Blair. While the two are involved in a friends with benefits relationship they agree that for this to take place they can't become a therapist for each other...which of course Charlie ends up trying to weasel around when he can.

The series is a hit and miss mixture of old stories we've seen before with new attempts to push the envelope as far as it can with sexual taboos. Some episodes are actually hilarious while others just sit there. Never having thought TWO AND A HALF MEN was the funniest thing ever made I thought this series was perhaps even a tad below that level of humor. Watching stars on the tail end of their age bracket and careers involved in sex comedy isn't my cup of tea.

Actually that part is rather sad when you think about it. Sheen has acting ability as seen in so many projects he's done in the past. When he took on the role in his previous series he became a caricature of the aging lothario whose life was nothing more than a series of women he attempted to or succeeded in bedding each week. Unfortunately his real life began to mimic this character rather than be an escape from it and that began to inflict itself into that show, enough so that he left. In this show he plays almost the same character with minor differences. It would be nice to see Sheen go back to fulfill the potential he displayed in films like PLATOON rather than this sort of knock off series.

On its own perhaps this series can be recommended for a few episodes and some of the jokes can be funny. The problem is you have to sit through the rest of it to get to these gems which are few and far between. Sheen fans who love his off screen antics will fall in love with this character. Those wanting to see a more mature actor will have to wait. 

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A COMMON MAN: A COMMON FILM

Maybe it's just me but I truly hate seeing great movie stars forced to play roles that are so far beneath them it makes your teeth grind just seeing them try to make something of that role. Then again perhaps I should be upset with that actor for taking on the role. Suffice to say that Ben Kingsley, yes the man who played Gandhi and recently the Mandarin, offers a truly walk through performance in A COMMON MAN.

The movie has Kingsley placing bombs throughout Sri Lanka in several public locations. He then informs a new reporter to be at the site of the first bomb to go off. Before igniting that bomb he contacts the local DIG (Ben Cross, another actor deserving of better parts) and tells him that the bombs have been planted and that he wants to talk to someone with more authority. In order to give him time and to show he is willing to work with them he lets them know the location of the first bomb.

Phone calls are made and everyone in charge of Sri Lanka is apparently on vacation leaving only Cross to handle the situation. Then again perhaps this is just a way of passing the buck for someone to take a fall should things go bad. In any event it leaves Cross to deal with Kingsley and they begin a cat and mouse game of Cross trying to find him while answering his demands. The demands are to release 4 prisoners currently held because of their terrorist activity. If you don't see what's coming then you haven't seen many films.

The plotline here is thin at best and easily guessed from start to finish. The set up is tedious and takes far too long to get where it's going. The photography is incredibly weak and seems more like a movie not only shot in Sri Lanka but done so with cameras that were left there after the Second World War

Kingsley and Cross do their best to elevate this film but have no luck accomplishing that task. The only good part of the film is the secondary twist ending that might make it worth watching. But then again why waste the time?

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A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III: HIS MIND IS EMPTY

I really can not say how much I couldn't stand this movie. I'm sorry but I have grown weary of writers and directors who think that they can paint themselves as artists by making an incoherent movie with characters no one cares about that flows free form from one scene to the next in an attempt to be different. You're not different you're just bad.

The basic premise here is Charles Swan III (portrayed by Charlie Sheen copying his performances from TWO AND A HALF MEN and ANGER MANAGEMENT) stars as a man in love with a woman who leaves him when she discovers he has a drawer filled with Polaroid pictures of past conquests. Why he feels the need to keep these around in such an open area who knows. Distraught at her leaving he attempts to drive after her, wrecks his car and ends up in the hospital.

From here the movie goes every which way it can. It moves backward and forward in time, it moves into the surreal world of Charles's mind, it bring in characters just made for cameos and it goes nowhere fast. Some reviews of this film have called it genius and others have called it one of the worst films ever made. I tend to fall in the latter group.

I found it difficult just to get through a large portion of this film let alone from beginning to end. I'll be the first to admit I never got there. Something inside of me said that there were better things in this world I could be doing than watching this piece of manure posing as art. Movies like this do little but make me angry when I read about other films that have lingered on shelves for years that sounded good but never got made. Then I realize that someone gave the people behind this movie money to make it and I think why this and not that?

The film was written/directed by Roman Coppola who co-wrote THE DARJEELING LIMITED and MOONRISE KINGDOM with director Wes Anderson. I've never been a huge fan of Anderson for many of the reasons this film didn't work, but at least I've been entertained by them in one way or another. This movie feels like it was made by a fanboy of Anderson's who wanted to show he could make just as quirky a film. Instead it falls flat on its face offering a boring film that makes no sense and is difficult to watch let alone enjoy.

Don't let the cover fool you. Names like Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Patricia Arquette and Jason Schwartzman may be listed in the credits but I could only believe they did this movie as a favor to Coppola. They would have done him a bigger favor by telling him that yes indeed; the king wasn't wearing any clothes.

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DARK CIRCLES: BELOW PAR HORROR FILM

The After Dark film series has offered hits and misses over the past few years with more misses than hits. This holds true with it's latest offering DARK CIRCLES.

Alex and Penny are a young couple with a new baby who decide to move out to the suburbs instead of live in the hustle and bustle of the city. Thinking this is a better way to raise a child of course we viewers know that nothing of the kind can take place and of course the child and family will soon be placed into jeopardy.

The new child is not the best at behaving and seems determined to keep the two of them awake most of the time. Why they can't figure out that they could sleep alternating shifts until the child develops a better sleep pattern is ignored so that we can have them suffer sleep deprivation. This is especially odd since Alex is a musician who works from home trying to compose music. Then again a new house is being built next door by a crew that seems to think they get paid more if they make more noise. With each passing day things seem to get worse.

Eventually things reach and extreme and the pair both begin seeing a strange looking woman in and around the house. Could this be some spectral image that they are seeing or is it just a hallucination due to their sleep deprivation? Time will tell as the movie glides along at a snails pace feeling more like it is repeating scenes rather than offer a coherent plot line.

These characters don't seem to make the best of decisions from start to finish. One that especially seemed odd to me was that they do their best to be loving, caring parents. But as the grind gets to them Alex meets a young girl working a check out counter at the local grocery and asks her to come baby sit for them. Call me crazy but I never once considered having some teenager I just met working the local grocery counter become the person I trusted with my child. Stranger yet is when they come home and she's no longer there they don't seem as upset as I would have been.

The final solution to the story here is actually fairly decent but the time it took to get there was wasted. This would have made a decent segment of NIGHT GALLERY years ago but as an entire feature it takes to long and feels more like it was padded to get it to feature length. 

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