Some utterly gut-wrenching news hit me hard last night.  Wes Craven, the man behind so many horror classics like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and SCREAM, has passed away at the age of 76 from a battle with brain cancer on August 30, 2015.

Just typing those words feels so surreal.  I know I'm not alone when I say that Craven made the largest impact on me than any other person in the horror genre.  I remember Freddy Krueger being one of the first horror images to frighten me as a child.  And although I was familiar with the genre, it wasn't until 1996 when I first saw SCREAM that I became completely infatuated with scary movies.

Wes Craven.  His name is synonymous with horror.  The man changed the game not once, but multiple times over multiple decades.  His passing is truly a shockwave through the community.

Hell, before I was even a fan of horror movies, I loved SWAMP THING as a kid, and it wasn't until years later that I realized it was directed by n…

Guys and girls, just so you know, SCREAM is getting good -- like really good.  Like, why are you not watching it?! good.  Last week's episode was stellar, and this week's?  Well, wow.

SCREAM -- S01E09 -- "The Dance"

The episode kicks off with a quick flashback to one year ago.  The Lakewood Municipal Records building gets broken into by a dark figure who eludes the security guard.  And once in the actual records/evidence room, the figure pours through the Brandon James evidence box and comes across the now-iconic post-op mask.


The figure turns to the security camera with the mask covering their face -- and an identity is created.

Back to the present, we quickly learn that it is the day of the Halloween dance at George Washing High School.


Lakewood is preparing for Halloween and the town appears to get pretty festive for the occasion.


Meanwhile, at the police station, Branson is being questioned by Hudson about the knife found in his classroom and the girl from his pa…

What's a good kid's horror show without a spooky prom queen episode after all?  The episode starts off with the gang waiting for Kristen to arrive.  She finally shows wearing an antique cloak and gown.  And she begins her tale.

AYAOTD? -- S01E12 -- "The Tale of the Prom Queen"
Originally aired November 7, 1992

The tale starts off at a cemetery.  A young girl puts flowers on a grave and hears maniacal laughing off in the distance.


She investigates the noise.

She rounds a corner and a guy jumps out and scares her, she turns to run and runs into a second guy.


"We're not ghosts.  Or maybe we are.  Ever seen NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD?" the first guy jokes.

The guys end up being Greg and Jam -- and the girl is Dede.


Jam tells Dede the story of the prom queen, a local ghost story.  Dede tells them she used to live here but moved away and she's only visiting.  Side note: I'm calling it now, Dede is the ghost prom queen -- keep in mind I have never seen thi…