This is a tribute edit for the birthday of tess Marie Mata and the honor and prayers of other school angels who passed away and rest in peace to Bishop Rance Allen in the gospel song miracle worker named Jesus Christ I made the edit
Makenna Lee Elrod, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Márquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Avielle Richman, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison Wyatt, Rachel Joy Scott, Kelly Ann Fleming, Cassie Bernall, Eliahna Torres, Ellie Garcia, Jackie Cazares, Layla Salazar, Natalie Danielle Brooks, Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo, Kevin Allan Hasell, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Sophie Jane “Soph” Lockwood-North, Charlotte Bacon, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Hannah Louise Scott, Cara Marie Loughran,Gina Rose Montalto,Alaina Joann Petty,Helena Freja Ramsay,Carmen Marie Schentrup, Jared Alan Lee Conard Black, Shana Lorraine Fisher, Christian Riley Garcia, Dawn Alyson Lafferty Hochsprung,Emily Maureen Ellen Keyes, Abigail Joanne “Abbie” McLennan, Joanna Caroline “JoJo” Ross,Araceli “Ara” Tena, Britthney Ryen Varner-Wilson, Shannon Dawn Williams Wright, Adriana “Adri” Dukić, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, Alexandria Aniyah “Lexi” Rubio, Maite Rodriguez, Dr. Jeremy Richman, Ross William Irvine, Stephanie Dawn Johnson, Corey Tyler Depooter, Melissa Helen Currie, Paige Ann Herring, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Eva Mireles, Luke Hoyer, John Alexander Petrie, Alyssa Alhadeff, Nick Dworet, Jaime Guttenberg, Meadow Pollack, Aaron Feis, Peter Wang, Sabika Sheikh, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Justin Shilling, Alithia Haven Ramirez, Emily Morten, Brett McKinnon, David Charles Kerr, Kayla Renee Rolland, Mhairi Isabel MacBeath, Maranda Gail Mathis, Megan Turner,
Hello Autumn and hello music lovers around the world. Enjoy the fall weather with another great lineup tonight with Ashley Scott leading the helm on the SSR October2023 show, Ashley will be playing some of the hottest songs from some of the top R&B musical selections. The show kicks off at 9:00pm EST, 8:00pm CST, 7:00pm PST, and 1:00am UK time.
They married on December 19, 1987, at ages 22 and 21. They share 19 children, 11 children-in-law, and 31 grandchildren.
1-Zachary Gilvin "Zach"- December 30, 1988
2- Michael Christian "Michaela"- January 23, 1990
3- Erin Elise- May 2, 1991
4- William Lawson "Lawson"- July 27, 1992
5- Kenneth Nathaniel "Nathan"- August 29, 1993
6- Alyssa Joy- November 9, 1994
7- Tori Layne- December 20, 1995
8- Trace Whitfield- February 1, 1997
9- Carlin Brianne- April 11, 1998
10- Josie Kellyn- August 4, 1999
11- Katie Grace- October 5, 2000
12- Jackson Ezekiel- February 17, 2002
13- Warden Justice- May 19, 2003
14- Isaiah Courage- October 16, 2004
15- Addallee Hope "Addie"- February 17, 2006
16- Ellie Bridget- April 28, 2007
Jewel- miscarriage
Jubilee- miscarriage
17- Callie-Anna Rose- August 2, 2009
18- Judson Wyatt- September 15, 2010
Zion- miscarriage in March 2011
19- Jeb Colton- February 1, 2012
Sunny- miscarriage in August 2012
Zach married Whitney Eileen Perkins (September 21, 1993) on December 14, 2013, at ages 24 and 20. They share 4 children and are expecting another daughter.
1- Bradley Gilvin- October 29, 2014
2- Kaci Lynn- June 20, 2016
miscarriage- 2018
3- Khloe Eileen- November 7, 2019
4- Jadon Carl- June 7, 2021
5- Lily Jo- August 15, 2023
Michaela and Brandon Timothy Keilen (September 15, 1989) married on August 15, 2015, both at age 25. They suffer from infertility.
Eden- miscarriage
Erin married Charles Stephen Paine III "Chad" (April 18, 1987) on November 2, 2013, at ages 22 and 26. They share 5 children and are expecting a son.
3 miscarriages- 2014
1- Charles Stephen Paine IV "Carson"- May 14, 2015
2- Brooklyn Elise- August 6, 2016
3- Everly Hope- March 30, 2018
4- Holland Grace- November 26, 2019
5- Finley Marie- January 18, 2022
6- William Gage- October 30, 2023
Lawson married Tiffany Lian Espensen (February 10, 1999) on May 12, 2022, at ages 29 and 23. They share a child.
Hope- miscarriage- 2023
1- Baby- Summer 2024
Nathan married Esther Joy Keyes (October 14, 1997) on October 22, 2021, at ages 28 and 24. They share a daughter.
1- Kenna Joy- October 17, 2022
2- Baby- Fall 2024
Alyssa married John Elliott Webster (November 21, 1989) on May 24, 2014, at ages 19 and 24. They share 5 children.
1- Allie Jane- April 11, 2015
2- Lexi Mae- January 26, 2017
3- Zoey Joy- March 28, 2018
4- Maci Jo- February 9, 2021
5- Rhett Alan- March 18, 2023
Tori married Robert Ellis Smith III "Bobby" (February 16, 1995) on December 16, 2017, at ages 21 and 22. They share 4 children and are expecting their 5th.
1- Robert Ellis Smith IV "Kade"- November 9, 2018
2- Kolter Grey- March 25, 2020
3- Charlotte Raine- June 24, 2021
4- Cambree Layne- August 2, 2022
5- Baby- 2024
Trace married Lydia Johanna Romeike (April 10, 1998) on October 1, 2022, at ages 25 and 24. They share a son.
1- Ryker Cruise- September 12, 2023
miscarriage- 2024
Carlin married Evan Patrick Stewart (August 24, 1995) on May 25, 2019, at ages 21 and 23. They share 2 children.
1- Layla Rae- January 31, 2020
2- Zade Patrick- March 27, 2022
Josie married Kelton Edward Balka (July 4, 1995) on October 5, 2018, at ages 19 and 23. They share 2 daughters and are expecting their third child.
1- Willow Kristy- July 19, 2019
miscarriage- 2020
2- Hazel Sloane- June 14, 2021
3- Miles Kelton- February 21, 2024
Katie married Travis James Clark (March 8, 2001) on December 3, 2001, both at age 21. They share a daughter.
1- Hailey James- February 17, 2023
Jack married Emerson Hope Wells (April 22, 2003) on October 14, 2023.
rules: list the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. then tag some friends.
tagged by @charaznablescanontoyota !!
a second is a century (nico sigh's horrible very bad timeloop) // It’s the bottom of the ninth.
if you don't go outside (flowers scorekeeper + dunn keyes) // The Garden is unbearably green.
timekeeper (jaylen vaulted) // the trench is cold, and it is dark, and it is almost-but-not-quite empty.
old gemini (jess + seb) // They join the league together.
when everyone you know is gone (crabitat 10x100) // Some spaces exist on the watery border between living and dead.
there beneath (wyatt vi 12x100) // It’s easy to decide they don’t want to be Wyatt anymore.
nervous tic motion of the head (gerri/bees) // it has been three weeks and gerri cannot shake the feeling that something is going to go horribly, horribly wrong.
just like the present (jess/nagomi 12x100) // It starts like this: they narrowly miss each other in Hades, and keep missing each other to the point that it could be a joke if it were funny.
tango dancer (jaylen trench study) // In the Trench, time blurs and blurs to the point that she doesn’t know if time is passing at all, most of the time — and everything else goes with it, to the point that her body is mere memory and any sense of where and when and why she’d had before is so long gone every calendar that might’ve marked their passing has crumbled into dust — the Trench is not kind to Jaylen, Jaylen who was thrown into its clutches first, Jaylen who has been there longest and who was alone for long enough to shed parts of herself like flaking drywall — but sometimes, sometimes, there are moments she comes back to herself.
bonus: not published, still a wip, but. as-yet-untitled disco elysium pacrim au fic (bc all the rest are blaseball and i want to spice it up some) // Jean Vicquemare wakes up underwater.
tagging anyone who wants to bc i dont know who of my mutuals writes fic and has not been tagged yet. say i tagged you! go wild!
1950, actors Traveling to Washington, D.C. To protest the House Un-American activities 'witch trials', against the 'Hollywood 10' writers.
Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye, Richard Conte, Paul Henreid, Geraldine Brooks, June Havoc, Marsha Hunt, Evelyn Keyes and Jane Wyatt.
Power Rangers: Jungle Fury: New Age:
Summary of Series: It has been a long time since the jungle masters- Casey, Lily and Felix- defeated Dai-shi once and for all. But just because 'once and for all' appears to be the result, doesn't mean fate doesn't have plans for it to be all over. When student, William Smith, at Pai Zhuq academy, unleashes Dai-Shi once more, master Casey has no choice but to send 3 of his students- Kiara Wilson, Sydney Miles and Gabriel Johnson- to his former master, R.J James, to be trained as the next power rangers in order to defeat the old threat.But with the stakes rising, can the new power rangers do it? Or will the old threat win for the first time in centuries?
Quotev Link
*Kiara Wilson- Orange Ranger- Faceclaim: Skai Jackson.
*Sydney Miles- Teal Ranger- Faceclaim: Mackenzie Foy.
*Gabriel Johnson- Pink Ranger- Faceclaim: Issac Ryan Brown.
*Mallory Miles- Dark Green Ranger- Faceclaim: Laura Marano.
*William Smith- host of Dai Shi- Faceclaim: Jedidiah Goodacre.
*Angelica Andrews- right hand of Dai Shi- Faceclaim: Sofia Carson.
Power Rangers: The New Samurai:
Summary of Series: Years ago, the Samurai Rangers defeated Master Xandred, and the Nighlok were sealed away for good.
Supposably.
Now, a new leader rises with the Nighlok, and plan to flood the earth, and believe that no one will step up to stop them.
But they are wrong- as the next generation of Samurai has now stepped up.
Can the Rangers stop the Nighlok? Or will they fall?
Quotev Link
*Reese Shiba- Red Ranger- Faceclaim: Rowan Blanchard.
*Jesse Barron- Pink Ranger- Faceclaim: Amir Mitchell-Townes.
*Morgan Barron- Blue Ranger- Faceclaim: Skai Jackson.
*Caleb Parry- Green Ranger- Faceclaim: Robert Ochoa.
*Silas Parry- Yellow Ranger- Faceclaim: Xolo Mariduena.
*Aurora Garcia- Gold Ranger- Faceclaim: Siena Agudong.
*Helia Garcia- Silver Ranger- Faceclaim: Alexys Nycole Sanchez.
*Arianna Barron- Purple Ranger- Faceclaim: Millie Davis (present)-Navia Robinson (Future Self).
A New Age of Mighty Morphin:
Summary of Series: Lord Drakkon was supposedly defeated in an event people refer to nowadays as Shattered Grid, universes moving on after the great battle, unaware though....some evils wont die that easily. Having risen from the ashes of his destroyed world, Lord Drakkon has fallen into a universe he considers weak and easy to take over first, unaware then that Kimberly Ann Hart with Ari has travelled to the universe to stop him at any cost, even if it means mentoring a new team of Rangers with their parents coins- will the new team be able to handle Drakkon or will they fail and lose everything they know and hold dear?
Quotev Link
Power Rangers: Greek Warriors:
Summary of Series: Once there was peace within the Greek Gods and Goddesses, as they did their duties and protected the earth and aided it any way they can, but then one day, their king, Zeus, turned finally and begun a never-ending war on them, taking down any enemy in his path in the process and in the end, that included going against the goddesses and amazons.
But when Zeus sets his sights on Earth instead, Two Amazons, entrusted with stones in bracelets, arrive to Earth with one entrusted mission: find champions who will become the Power Rangers that can hopefully defeat Zeus once and for all, after all, if the Earth falls then all are doomed afterwards.
With their powers of the goddesses on their side, the team of power rangers find themselves in a war to save their planet from the wrath of the King of Gods himself, or it'll be all over if they lose.....
Quotev Link
Cowboy from Start to End: Joel McCrea By Jessica Pickens
Tall and ruggedly handsome, Joel McCrea was a leading man who could perform any film role. With his easygoing attitude, he fit into roles from romance to espionage to Western. His characters varied from a man trapped on an island with a human game hunter in THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (’32) to working men trying to find their way in the world, like in DEAD END (’37). But one theme ran throughout his career — performing in Westerns; foreshadowing the latter half of his career as well as his daily life.
When Joel McCrea started receiving credited leading roles in 1930, the films were often romantic dramas. The romantic leading men McCrea played were often conflicted and the women he loved had dubious pasts. His characters had to decide if they could look past these things, such as in BED OF ROSES (’33) where Constance Bennett used to be a kept woman, or in PRIMROSE PATH (’40) where Ginger Rogers’s family worked as prostitutes.
Comedies dominated McCrea’s career in the 1940s, such as SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (’41), in which McCrea disguises himself as a hobo to gather material for a dramatic film and in the World War II housing shortage comedy THE MORE THE MERRIER (’43). He also acted in the Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (’40).
But while McCrea could do it all, he drew the line at one type of role during World War II. He turned down scripts casting him as military heroes. “Since I was too old to be called, I was too old for that kind of show,” he is quoted as saying in his Oct. 21, 1990 New York Times obituary.
But the types of roles that followed him to the end of his career were Westerns. The sprawling Cecil B. DeMille Western epic, UNION PACIFIC (’39), solidified him in the genre. By 1945, 40-year-old McCrea decided to transition his acting career to full-time Westerns. “I liked doing comedies but as I got older, I was better suited to do Westerns. I felt at home in them,” McCrea said in an interview.
From 1945 until his last film in 1976, McCrea was in only one non-Western, the adventure SHOOT FIRST (’53), also titled Rough Shoot, co-starring Evelyn Keyes and Herbert Lom. McCrea joked that his film career was based on playing the roles that Gary Cooper turned down, according to Walter Mirisch’s book I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History.
One of McCrea’s standout Westerns is the family film STARS IN MY CROWN (’50), where he plays a small-town parson who has to deal with the unruly townspeople and his son, played by Dean Stockwell. McCrea always looked easy going and natural in his film roles, but in his Western roles, he looked even more comfortable and at home. McCrea emulated the cowboy lifestyle in his daily life and had since the 1930s. According to his obituary, he even listed his occupation as rancher and hobby as actor.
Co-starring with cowboy turned actor Will Rogers early in his film career, Rogers recommended that McCrea should buy land. Robert Nott’s Last of the Cowboy Heroes recounts how McCrea followed his advice, figuring if acting didn’t work out, then he could be a rancher. McCrea and his wife, actress Frances Dee, lived on a 2,700-acre ranch in the Santa Rosa Valley and raised cattle. They stayed on the ranch for their entire marriage, and their grandson, Wyatt McCrea, currently lives on the McCrea Ranch property, which has been operated by the Conejo Recreation and Park District since 1995. Today, 280 acres of the property remains.
“I always felt so much more comfortable in the western,” McCrea said in 1978. “The minute I got a horse and a hat and a pair of boots on, I felt easier. I didn't feel like I was an actor anymore. I felt like I was the guy out there doing it.”
Non-Native white characters of Alpha Centurion War:
Jessica Croft-Ruslo. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Maddie Kingston-Suzuki. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Kaitlin Marshall-Suzuki. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Abigail Comstock-Tanaka. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Paul Prescott. He is a member of the Sentinels.
Thomas Shepard. He is a member of the Sentinels
Joseph Upton. He is a member of the Sentinels.
Samantha Upton. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Henry Upton. He is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Hayden Green
Henry Lawson. He is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
David Lawson. He is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Leonard Smith
Zoe Keyes
Harrison Lawson
Benjamin Becker
Felicia Hawking
Dean Lucas Chambers. He is a member of the Sentinels.
Layla Norton. She is a member of the Sentinels
Carolina Robbins. She is a member of the Sentinels.
Kimberly Hawkins. She is a member of the Sentinels.
Jessica Darby
Wyatt Headley
Leslie Pearlmen
Hayden Upton
Daisy Tatton
Zachariah York. He is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Katie Perkins
Elsa Johannsson-Kim. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Bernadette Shultz-Kim. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Brigitte LeBlanc. She is a member of the Sentinels.
Nika Volkov. She is a fighter jet pilot who served in World War 3, the Nuclear War, & the Robot Uprising for the Russian Air Force and a space fighter pilot who fought in the Human-Alien Contact War for the Earth Space Force.
Lucas Bartholomew Chamberlain. He is a cishet male. He is white and non-native. He is abled bodied, allistic, & neurotypical. He is 5′11. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He has a crew cut hair style. He has a lean and athletic body type. He is an intergalactic scientist, inventor, & engineer. He built weapons and tech for the Earth and Terran Empire. He is an intergalactic politician. He is a politician who is a remnant of the Earth government and Terran Empire government as a former senator of the Earth High Command representing the United States. He is an intergalactic businessman and business mogul who is the CEO and chairman of several intergalactic businesses. He is a trillionaire. He is a capitalist and plutocrat who hoards wealth on a cosmic scale. He is like billionaire Jeff Bezos but on steroids. He is rich by intergalactic standards that outshines Tony Stark, Oliver Queen, and Bruce Wayne. Unlike these heroes this supervillain and anti-villain is not a philanthropist or humanitarian. He has a carefully crafted and build facade and pretense. He has a mask of being kind, compassionate, humble, open-minded, progressive, charitable, modest, & tolerant. He is actually cold, selfish, egotistical, bigoted, arrogant, intolerant, boastful, envious, bigoted, over confident, greedy, & pretentious. He is ruthless, unkind, & cruel as a supervillain and antihero. He has a god complex. He likens himself to demigods and gods of antiquity. He likens himself to the greatest men who ever lived. He believes himself to be the hero and champion humanity deserves. He is a former superhero. He has delusions of grandeur. He is a megalomaniac. He is a supervillain, antihero, & anti-villain whichever serves him best. He has no allegiance to anyone or anything but himself. He is a metahuman with superhuman: strength, speed, durability, & intelligence. Queer and trans Asian and Latinx Native superhero Alexander Kana’i Mack Ryuu Francisco Makoa Smith’s/Alexandria Ataahua Macy Haruka Francisca Kamalani Smith’s is his archenemy and rival. He/she/they is his arch enemy as he/she/they and Joanna Jacobson exposed him for who he truly was. Lucas Bartholomew Chamberlain he is a former disgraced member of the Sentinels. He using his background as a scientist, inventor, & engineer uses a power armor suit and mecha in his battles with Alexander/Alexandria. He also uses advanced hard light plasma weapons such as guns and melee weapons to go toe to toe with since he/she/they is a metahuman and superhuman metamorph, changeling, & shapeshifter. He also uses stolen alien technology and magic against him/her/them in their battles. Lucas as a former politician was the mastermind behind many of the actions of the Earth and the Terran Empire. He used his power, influence, control, & power to hurt people. So many of the cruel actions that Earth and the Terran Empire did with their colonialism, imperialism, neocolonialism, & occupation was passed by him as a politician behind the scenes. Lucas as an inventor, scientist, & engineer in the shadows built many of the weapons that Earth and the Terran Empire used to maintain their hegemony and dominion.
Nonhuman characters of Alpha Centurion War:
Laurissa Maximliana Jones. She is a homo magi demigod hybrid. She is the daughter of Athena and a homo magi Lady Meinn. She is the niece of Ares and Aphrodite. She is the goddaughter of Mars and Bellona. She is an S rank Amazonian fighter, magic user, & paladin. She is a member of the Sentinels. She is polyamorous. She is cis bisexual.
Hoajur a male Atlantean and mermaid hybrid. He is bisexual.
Clannen a female Atlantean and siren hybrid. The wife of Hoajur. She is pansexual.
Emperor Angelo Vergilius Romano the son of Neptune and a female Atlantean Queen
Empress Cornelia Agusta Rossi-Romano the daughter of an Atlantean and a female nymph
Ylva Helga Olafsdottir-Smith. She is an Aesir and Vanir hybrid Valkyrie. She is the spouse and partner of Alexander Mack Smith/Alexandria Macy Smith
Carina Bellona Ragorio. She is the daughter of Mars and Venus. She is the spouse and partner of Alexander Mack Smith/Alexandria Macy Smith
Diona Artemis Megalos. She is the daughter of Ares and Athena. She is the spouse and partner of Alexander Smith/Alexandria Smith
High King Lysander Norwood a S rank magic user, paladin, & fighter. Lysander Norwood is a brown skinned. He is magical human, an Indigenous magical human, & homo magi hybrid. In our world would be considered an Indigenous mixed person of color. He is nonbinary bigender or pangender. In our world he would also be considered two spirit or mahu.
Purple Pheonix aka Zhou Zhen whos a half phoenix sage, monk, & fighter. She is a way of the fire bird monk. By our world’s standards she is an East Asian Chinese woman of color. She is monogamous cis lesbian.
Homo Magi Emperor Hadrian or Harisson Williams. He is a homo magi and high elf hybrid. He is the emperor of the Homo Magi empire. He is a former fallen paladin, death knight, & dark mage.
Wraithlike Wyvern or Dragoon Dragon aka Chun Hei Kim a half dragon half magical human. She is a lighter skinned brown skinned magical human. She is a half dragon hybrid. She has terra cotta skin tone. She has tendril like hair that is covered in scales as a half dragon. As a magical human she has a hairstyle that is similar to dreadlocks hair style. She is a Korean Buddhist. In her magical high fantasy world, she was a soldier for the Alliance and Coalition lands. In her world she was a half dragon fighter who as an adventurer was a dragon knight, dragon slayer, dragon rider, dragon summoner, & dragon mage. In this world she was a space fighter pilot of the Sol System Space Navy. She is a lieutenant in the Sol System Space Navy. She is the protégé of Colonel Frederick Darnell Nguyen of the Earth Space Force. In this cyberpunk science fiction world, she identifies as a Black American East Asian Korean woman of color. It says so on her ID and holo car drivers license. In our world she is a singer, songwriter, rapper, music producer, actor, producer, director, model, fashion designer, video game streamer, & video game designer. She is polyamorous cis bisexual. She is the wife of Zhou Zhen, Bernadette Shultz, Elsa Johansson, Valerie Garcia, Maysa Nabila Uzun, & Amelia Himmat Mishra. She is a member of the Elites and Paragons.
Alien extraterrestrial characters:
Kulax Kojir-Smith. She is a polyamorous pangender pansexual. She is the spouse and partner of Alexander/Alexandria. She is the empress of the planet Tevran.
Ohoi Nessars-Smith. She is the spouse and partner of Alex/Lexi.
Melmih. She is the spouse and partner of Alex/Lexi. She has DID or dissociate identity disorder and schizophrenia.
Loran. She is the spouse and partner of Alexander/Alexandria.
After the original trilogy, The Amityville Horror's storyline had run its course, as had its theatrical viability. The 1979 original is an iconic adaptation of Jay Anson’s allegedly true book. 1982's Amityville II: The Possession is a successful prequel that shows the murders that led to the house being haunted. 1983's Amityville 3-D rested its laurels on the 3D gimmick for a largely dull entry.
This would spell the end for most franchises (at least until the remake boom), but once the home video industry blossomed, the marketable title was revived for a spate of direct-to-video sequels. While the initial source material had been tapped, four of these later efforts borrowed a concept from John G. Jones' 1988 short story collection, Amityville: The Evil Escapes, in which cursed objects from the original house find their way into unsuspecting peoples' lives.
Vinegar Syndrome has collected the pseudo-quadrilogy of 1989's Amityville: The Evil Escapes, 1992's Amityville: It’s About Time, 1993's Amityville: A New Generation, and 1996's Amityville Dollhouse - the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth installments in the franchise, respectively - in a Blu-ray box set dubbed Amityville: The Cursed Collection. (The absent fifth entry, 1990's The Amityville Curse, is an unrelated Canadian production that remains out of print due to rights issues.)
Amityville: The Evil Escapes was made for television but features decent production value, including a strong opening with a rain storm and a fairly convincing facade of the original Amityville house at 112 Ocean Avenue. The Amityville Horror screenwriter Sandor Stern returned to write and direct the followup. While having one of the original creative forces at the helm is a good omen, his effort is light on scares.
The film follows Nancy Evans (Patty Duke, Valley of the Dolls) and her three children. The untimely death of Nancy's husband has put a financial burden on the family, forcing them to move to rural California to live with her mother, Alice (Jane Wyatt, Star Trek), who recently received an antique lamp from the Amityville house. The 300-year-old evil is attached to the lamp and then transmigrates to the most vulnerable person in the house: the grieving youngest child, Jessica (Brandy Gold), who communicates with her late father.
The familial melodrama is akin to a Lifetime movie, while a series of strange occurrences in the house causes further tension between its inhabitants. Naturally, the cursed lamp lights up whenever something happens. The ridiculous plot lends itself to a few entertaining set pieces, including a possessed chainsaw and a garbage disposal gone wrong. The gore in the latter scene was absent from the TV broadcast but was added for the home video release and remains intact on Blu-ray.
Duke is probably a little too old for her role, but she's good in it. The kids don't fare as well, but what's asked of them is fairly minimal. The cast also includes Fredric Lehne (Supernatural) and Norman Lloyd (Saboteur) as a pair of priests from Amityville, Aron Eisenberg (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Nancy's son, and Peggy McCay (Days of Our Lives) as Alice's sister, who sets the story into motion by gifting her the lamp.
Amityville: The Evil Escapes's Blu-ray disc includes new interviews with Stern and cinematographer Tom Richmond (House of 1000 Corpses, Chopping Mall). Stern's conversation is an informative one, but the most interesting fact is that he had no idea more sequels were made after this one. Richmond details how he felt more like the lighting manager than the director of photographer, as Stern was more experienced and knew what he wanted.
Amityville: It’s About Time is directed by Tony Randel (Hellbound: Hellraiser II) and written by Christopher DeFaria (who went on to executive produce the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road, Gravity, and Ready Player One) and Antonio Toro. Its subtitle is not just a clever clock pun; the movie deals with time in rather interesting, if sometimes nonsensical, ways - including time shifts. The name also works in a metaphorical sense, as the core of the picture is about a character struggling to break the cycle of making the same mistakes.
In the film, the Amityville house has been torn down and replaced with a new development, but architect Jacob Sterling (Stephen Macht, The Monster Squad) helped himself to a antique clock. He brings it home to suburban California, where his ex-girlfriend, Andrea (Shawn Weatherly, Police Academy 3: Back in Training), is watching his two teenage kids, Rusty (Damon Martin, Ghoulies II) and Lisa (Megan Ward, Encino Man). The clock physically roots itself into their home and begins controlling the family members.
Rusty - who's depicted as a "troubled" kid in a very '90s way, complete with black clothing, an earring, and heavy metal music - recognizes that there is an evil presence, but everyone else blames him for the weird happenings in the neighborhood. While he's at the center of it, the plot successfully integrates the entire household, unlike the previous film, and the complicated family dynamic is a welcome shakeup of the formula.
Playing more like an ensemble than any other Amityville, each cast member is able to pull their own weight. Macht's role is fairly thankless, as a dog attack leaves him in failing health, but he fully commits. Jonathan Penner (Survivor) gives a charismatic performance as Andrea's pretentious psychologist boyfriend, and Nita Talbot (Hogan's Heroes), Terrie Snell (Home Alone), and Dick Miller (Gremlins) are among the neighbors who pop up.
If not for the tenuous connection to the Amityville Horror franchise, I suspect this picture might have more of a cult following. (It's easier for word-of-mouth to spread about a lone gem than the sixth entry in a direct-to-video franchise.) The most entertaining film in the set, It's About Time is a charming, if unspectacular, B-movie with a delightfully silly plot and several fun moments featuring special effects by KNB EFX Group (From Dusk Till Dawn, Scream), the most memorable of which sees a character melting into the floor.
Amityville: It’s About Time's Blu-ray disc includes new interviews with Randel and DeFaria. Randel seems to relish the opportunity to discuss the film, as he says no one ever asks about it, and praises the cast and crew. DeFaria explains that he offered to write the film as a way to get his foot in the door as a producer - which, looking at his post-Amityville resume, seems to have worked out for him.
Amityville: A New Generation eschews the franchise's traditional, suburban family dynamic in favor of a metaphorical one; a community of artists living in an urban loft co-opt. It focuses on Keyes Terry (Ross Partridge, Stranger Things), a struggling photographer who's struck with inspiration when a homeless man gives him an ornate mirror that has been in his family for generations. The mirror predicts the death of its first victim, which would be an interesting enough concept, but alas it is not consistent. Ultimately, the possessed object tempts Keyes to commit murder.
The film boasts a powerful supporting cast that includes David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London) as the landlord, Terry O'Quinn (Lost) as a detective, Richard Roundtree (Shaft) as one of the artists, Robert Rusler (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge) as a disgruntled ex-boyfriend, and a particularly charming Lin Shaye (Insidious) as a mental hospital nurse. Although the cast elevates the material, the script - penned by a returning DeFaria and Toro - remains lackluster.
While the previous entries did an admirable job to overcome their limited resources, A New Generation looks and feels very much like a '90s direct-to-video movie; THE of the same caliber as the endless Children of the Corn, Hellraiser, and The Prophecy sequels that were being churned out around the same time. Despite a direct connection to the Amityville mythology beyond the mirror, it hardly even feels like an Amityville movie.
Directed by John Murlowski (Santa with Muscles) made the inspired choice to hire The Amityville Horror visual effects artist William Cruse to handle the elaborate mirror effects. They're all accomplished in camera; an impressive feat that sounds great in theory but looks campy in practice. The film also features cinematography by future Academy Award winner Wally Pfister (Inception, The Dark Knight).
Amityville: A New Generation's disc includes new interviews with Murlowski and DeFari, plus a commentary by Murlowski. Murlowski's chat includes a breakdown of the analog effects, supplemented by behind-the-scenes footage. His commentary allows him to go more in depth, citing The Shining as an inspiration, pointing out the similarities to Oculus, and addressing shortcomings such as the pacing and the rubber monster. DeFari discusses the challenges of channeling artists' fears on screen and offers advice for aspiring filmmakers.
Amityville Dollhouse is perhaps the most traditional of the bunch in terms of concept, though its execution goes in a different direction. In it, a newly blended family moves into a house that the contractor father, Bill Martin (Robin Thomas, Summer School), built on the original Amityville lot. Bill finds an old dollhouse - a miniature model of the Amityville abode, naturally - and gives it to his young daughter. While the girl ostensibly releases the evil, the strange occurrences begin before she receives the gift.
The eerie events start small but escalate to the point where the family's younger boy sees his deceased father, urging him to murder his family. The father appears in three stages of decay, a la Jack in An American Werewolf in London. His ultimate form is something like a cross between Tales from the Crypt's Crypt Keeper and Friday the 13th Part VII's Jason Voorhees, but he's too loquacious to be scary, delivering a few Freddy Krueger-esque quips.
While the deceased father feels a bit out of place in an Amityville movie, he is the highlight of the film, thanks to exceptional makeup by SOTA Effects' Roy Knyrim (The Toxic Avenger Part II & III). Also notable is an appearance by a young Lisa Robin Kelly (That '70s Show). The film marks the lone directorial effort of Steve White, who executive produced all four films in the set, along with The Devil’s Advocate and Halloweentown. Joshua Michael Stern (director of Jobs) penned the script.
Amityville Dollhouse's disc includes new interviews with White, Knyrim, and director of photography Thomas L. Callaway (Feast, Slumber Party Massacre II), along with alternate footage from the TV edit. White, having produced the prior three films, offers an interesting perspective. Knyrim discusses the progression of the dead father's makeup and how existing creature parts were repurposed for demons in the climax. Callaway breaks down a few interesting techniques, like a 360-degree shot with a periscope lens and the challenges of lighting a character covered in latex.
The perfect companion to Scream Factory's The Amityville Horror Trilogy set, Amityville: The Cursed Collection is available exclusively from Vinegar Syndrome. It's not as loaded with extras as some of the company's releases (there's no input from any cast members and only one commentary), but each movie offers at least a couple of new interviews. All four films have been newly restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives, so they look better than they ever have. Each disc is in its own Blu-ray case with reversible artwork, all packaged in a slipcase box designed by Earl Kessler Jr., which is limited to 4,000.
Amityville: The Cursed Collection is available now from Vinegar Syndrome.
2006 Fun Fact: The three fanes in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft were inspired by the idea of walking the faneways in Gregory Keyes's Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series.
— James Wyatt (@aquelajames) January 24, 2020
Dude. No joke, all of the adjacent encounters were my fav. One of my favorite DMing moments dealt with the cavern of that creepy Dwarven taxidermist.
I know a lot of people were upset by the weird kissing scene between Jessica and Wyatt at the end of the episode. But there was another equally weird kiss between Emma and Keynes. It’s not an accident that these two kisses occurred just a few minutes apart.
1. We suspect that Emma is playing Keyes so she can seize power for herself. She also seems to have a significantly different view of the future than Keynes. I personally see her as motivated primarily by the desire for power. I don’t know her ideological background but she’s clearly supportive of women’s rights (probably not racial equality but that’s White Feminism). Emma is manipulating Keynes most likely by pursuing a sexual relationship with him. Never forget that he is also conveniently married. I’m convinced that’s not the first time she’s tried this tactic. I think she and Flynn had a thing before she revealed herself as Rittenhouse. I’m not certain she wasn’t a little emotionally involved though. Not enough to make her stop being Rittenhouse.
2. We also suspect that Jessica is Rittenhouse. I think more than likely she isn’t a horrible person. The show keeps pointing out that Rittenhouse sleeper agents are often fairly unwilling and all but forced into it by their parents or through manipulation. I suspect Jessica wasn’t a very good agent because she didn’t rush to help Emma in the hospital scene. I also think she was looking for an out when she offered to leave. Jessica then offers to help comb through documents which makes me think she knows that there is something there. Jessica’s kiss is one of desperation. She needs Wyatt to protect her. She’s in a very vulnerable position. She knows that if she is outed as a Rittenhouse agent Flynn will straight up kill her. He’s not going to hesitate. The others might but not Flynn. She also can’t go back to Rittenhouse. Her screwing up the mission is too severe. So she kisses Wyatt in a last-ditch effort to get him on her side. He appears shocked. The whole staging of the kiss is so fake. He was arguably in more danger after that Rittenhouse raid and yet she was nowhere to be seen. She doesn’t kiss him after the JFK attempted killing either. (She may not have been told much but I suspect she knew that he wasn’t going to play golf.) Wyatt whispers “Why” or “What” to her as they walk away. He’s clearly puzzled by her behavior. She may be also motivated by spite when he waved her goodbye but I’m not sure. I think she doesn’t want to hurt Lucy but she’s desperate. Also, I’m not convinced that she knows that Lucy cares that much about Wyatt. Don’t forget that she has probably seen Lucy and Flynn together and may suspect something is going on between them.
It’s important to remember that Wyatt doesn’t know that Jessica knows about Lucy. All he knows is that Jessica was urged by Lucy to stay. If he had pushed Jessica away she would have immediately suspected. Even though he and Lucy didn’t have an affair he knows Jessica well enough to know that she probably won’t stick around. He needs Jessica’s forgiveness and needs to make the marriage work in order to assuage his conscience that he was the one who had her killed.
The parallels between Jessica and Emma are killing me. They are both playing a game to survive. I think Emma is much guiltier than Jessica most likely is but I find the parallels very interesting. Also don’t get me started on any potential parallels between Flynn and Wyatt being betrayed by people they trusted.
Anyway, that kiss scene was absolutely necessary even if it was disturbing. I thought Wyatt glancing at Lucy was weird and I’m still trying to figure out why he did that. Was it an apology? Longing for her? Any thoughts?
Note: I am in no way defending Wyatt for his behavior. I’ll have another whole post on that. It’s complicated.