So, I'm sitting now at the little glass table in the dining area off the kitchen, right next to three floor- to- ceiling windows that look out over the back deck. I like to sit here and work when I'm doing updates and such for the site because it is close to the refrigerator and there is easy access to the wine glasses and corkscrew.

Anyway, I noticed something strange a few minutes ago - strange noises coming from the windows. Since there is light inside and it is dark outside I can't see anything but my own goofy reflection when I look out the window, but still the noise continued to the point that I had to stop everything and stare for a while. Finally I saw the source of the sounds... a June Bug. I think that's what they are called - brown bugs about the size of a dime that are round and fly around in clumsy patterns, slamming against the glass and making quite a racket. Then I noticed another, and another... after a few minutes there were dozens of these little beasts slamming their brown bodies against the glass in a quest for the light. Seriously, I think there are a MILLION of them out there, all propelling their bodies against the glass. Are they really after the light???

This experience has made me think of movies like Hitchcock's The Birds and countless creepy-crawly type movies that never fail to freak me out. I hate bugs. No, really... those June Bugs are totally freaking me out.

I guess fear can take many forms in horror flicks with the raging psycho with a machete being only one facet. I remember The Descent creeped me out to no end before I ever laid eyes on the cave-dwelling monsters because of the close-quarters of the caves. Do people really go into caves for FUN??? The worst part of Slither was when that huge fat lady exploded and all of those slugs came out and tried to get into everyone's mouth... yuck.  And now, June Bugs.

If I don't come around for a while it just may be because a hoarde of June Bugs broke through my window and consumed my flesh until there is only a skeleton sitting at my computer screen. If that happens, please send help.

Don

In the very (very, very) early days of The Ossuary someone posted something they found, I think, on Facebook. Zombie Day. Take the time to act like a zombie, watch zombie movies and I imagine ensure that your stash is fresh and sufficient and the flame-thrower is working in preparation for the pending outbreak. Speaking of zombie day...

I spent the Memorial day weekend doing a couple of things out in the country. First and foremost the American Flag was waving and I took the time to remember and say a silent prayer for those countless members of our armed forces who gave their lives in defense of our Liberty in this great country of the United States of America. I also gorged on ribs and beans and drank a little (or a lot) too much. And... I worked in the garden.

How does this relate to Zombie Day you ask? Well, it all started with the garden work. For two days I was out with a hoe, a tiller and this little hand-digger thing getting rid of weeds, tending the rows, putting new seed in where the deer had cut off the tender vegetable sprouts leaving only 1/2 inch greenish nubs on the mounds... and all the while the sun was blaring down and the water bottles that I was supposed to be drinking remained full and untouched. The dehydration that set in on Sunday evening brought unbearable headaches to match my decidedly redneck farmer tan that included a glowing crimson on the back of my neck (obviously...) on my legs between my socks and my shorts and from the edge of my short sleeves to my bloodied and dirty finger nails. To top things off I realized early in the day that I was completely out of OFF! so I presented quite the smorgasbord to the billions of blood-sucking insects hovering around the area looking for a worthy victim. So... The end of that day I was miserable, body broken by hours of manual labor, burned to a crisp, head pounding from lack of fluids and itching like crazy from a multitude of bug bites.

The next day I got up, too early because my dog "Litalious Small Fry" (or "Max" for those that don't give their pets ridiculous nicknames) came snorting to the edge of the bed wanting to get outside and pee on everything that was surely peed on the night before... so, I was off to the garden again.

This time I sprayed the Adamms Flea and Tick spray (for the dogs) on myself because it said it also repelled mosquitoes. As a side note I don't recommend that... it didn't hurt or anything but it doesn't work worth a damn... And, I made a conscious decision to drink those bottles of water - in fact I set some out at strategic points throughout the garden so that when I worked up to an area that had a water bottle planted that was my cue to drink the contents. Worked pretty well. For all my planning I did forget the sunscreen. Plus there were some threatening thunder clouds on the horizon so I worked feverishly to beat the pending rainfall... which didn't come until about 7:00 PM after I was done, by the way. At least I got it all done.

Monday yard work finished and I had those ribs and beans and went to bed a little early - and got up at 6:00 AM for the long drive into Atlanta where I work as a sales guy for an Internet Security Services company. Well, it was zombie day and I felt every inch of one. I had conference calls that I don't remember. I took a nap at my desk before taking a three hour lunch to sneak home and get a nap. Man, was I wasted. I don't feel 100% even now... so Zombie Day was completely lived out by yours truly, with or without my consent. I think I even growled at some people.

So, happy Zombie Day! I hope you all had fun stockpiling guns, ammo and food stuffs for the coming inifection - or at least caught Zombie Lake. What should I work on next?... Zombie Gardens?

Yours in horror,

Don Sumner

OK folks - I have been watching this video for a long time and it is just the coolest thing. If you are a big enough dork to love Mary Poppins (like I am) and also love horror movies then this is the best of all worlds... the creator took scenes from the movie Mary Poppins and edited them together to create a horror movie trailer. It's awesome!!!

Well, the invitation went out to subscribers to Horror Movie Freaks to join The Ossuary and get the good screen names. There are some folks that have really gone all out on their profiles adding cool background images, photo galleries, music that plays when the profile is viewed... very cool.

We're still working through a few kinks in the community software but the final version is near.  Not to be confused with "The Sherrif is Near"...

I am really looking forward to getting this new community off the ground. I've tried to participate in the forums and such that other sites have and just can't get engaged. I don't know... it seems to me that most of those sites have a core of folks that berate everyone else if they don't agree with their views. So... if there isn't lively conversation going on then there is nothing really else to do there.

We've taken the best of YouTube, Flicker and MySpace and made it specific to Horror Freaks - Perhaps a big risk but I think that there are plenty of us around to make this community thrive. I need to change some of the headings on the menu bar, the ones for Videos, Photos and Music to make it clear that these are sharing channels - different from the things that show only on a profile (under my profile for each member).  Once we have more folks uploading things to share it will be more interesting for everyone to participate here... but the key is making it clear what this is about.

So, off to work. In the meantime upload some pics, videos and music from the main menu bar and start the sharing process... Oh, and videos can be embedded elsewhere like YouTube so upload here and then play wherever you want!

Now I'm rambling...

The Horror Czar 

I am so excited about the looming launch of The Ossuary! For so long now enthusiastic visitors to Best-Horror-Movies.com have been clammouring for a place to share in the community here at BHM. Sure, we have "Horror Movie Questions", "Horror Lists", "Ask the Zombie Master" and so on, but this is different - real-time interaction with horror fans across the globe.

Those other reader-submission avenues will continue to exist, but I think The Ossuary will fill a bit of a void. Forums, personal profiles, uploads of pictures, video and music, posting of events and groups of like-minded Horror Freaks are all here in The Ossuary.

I can't wait until launch... very soon!

The Horror Czar

Best-Horror-Movies.com