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The Quintessential Halloween Playlist

Get the most out your Halloween experience with this playlist featuring favorites and hidden gems.

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The Quintessential Halloween Playlist

This Halloween season, before the trick-or-treaters arrive or you don your own costume, set up a Halloween music mix on YouTube. This will ensure you have the right vibe for the evening.

Some listeners will prefer a more “haunting” or “scary” music mix as opposed to a “fun” or “kid-friendly” list of songs. What it boils down to is the overall tone you want to set for your Halloween experience.

For those who want to go the scary and haunting route, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and the soundtrack from Girl With a Dragon Tattoo would be a good choice. There are heavy beats and creepy lyrics to make the skin crawl and assault the ears. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the composers behind Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, mix electric and strings to create an eerie sound that builds and builds. These music choices are perfect if you want to slowly unnerve your guests, or spook trick-or-treaters.

If you want a more fun and kid-friendly Halloween music list, then stick with the classics like Monster Mash. They may be old, but they’ve got a certain appeal that endures through time.

The list below, created by yours truly, is a mix of both. A few classics are in there, a few scary tracks, along with some lesser-known pieces to keep things interesting. Make sure to create your own playlist through your favorite streaming service. To prevent any lag in streaming, make sure to check out the best internet deals and packages in your area too!

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

 

Who could ignore the cult classic?

Jackson, just as he was really getting his solo career going, released this music video. It’s really a short film with a big budget. But it’s got all the classic tropes associated with horror movies. And THE Vincent Price does the voice over.

If you don’t know who Vincent Price is, then jump on YouTube and search “Vincent Price Performs The Thriller Rap Live.” After that, go and watch the original House on Haunted Hill, you won’t be disappointed.

Of course, there are plenty of tutorial videos out there on how to dance the Thriller dance. It’s a classic dance and you’ll be well prepared for any party with it.

“Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

 

It’s around this time of year that you’ll see late night showings of this cult classic. And if you ever get talked into one, be prepared for costumes and full-audience participation.

You’ll also get to see a young Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Meat Loaf!

“Dragula” by Rob Zombie

 

Featured in The Matrix, this Rob Zombie hit is good for dance mixes, or just creeping out your friends who are more reserved.

While Rob Zombie is an acquired taste, his music is perfect for certain occasions, like Halloween. For those not familiar with him, be warned, his style is creepy. But it's just the right amount of creepy.

“Monster Mash” by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

 

A classic that everyone has probably heard by now. If not, then it’s likely someone will cock their head and say, “Oh, I’ve heard that before.”

“Monster Mash” is a more kid-friendly tune. It was originally written as a spoof of the “dance craze” type songs that were popular in the early sixties. “Monster Mash” would become part of a much larger album of other Halloween-themed dance songs.

“Phantom of the Opera- Phantom of the Opera Theme Song” by Andrew Lloyd Webber

 

Evil villains in masks, damsels in distress, and creepy lairs, what’s more Halloween than that?

Thanks to the 2004 movie adaptation, we get to hear Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler perform the lead parts. Both are highly talented actors and it’s a pity the two haven’t done more musicals since then.

The film is great and engrossing. But to get the full force of Webber’s masterpiece, one must see it on stage as it was meant to be seen. Originally “The Phantom of The Opera” was a book that was adapted to a stage play. In the early 80s, Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote a new score to the stage play and from there it took off. This is why there are guitar riffs and electronic synths incorporated among the orchestration. Webber’s musical genius makes it work though.

Hearing it recorded is one thing, but to listen to the music live is an experience that’s on another plane altogether. Another bonus, if you’re lucky, is if you see a production with a master set director. For example; of the three times I’ve gotten to see the stage play, the one that stands out the most was the second time I saw it.

In the middle of the stage was a large brick wall. This cut the stage in half, but pieces of the wall would open to reveal different scenes. And when the Phantom’s theme occurred, The Phantom and Christine would walk along the top of the wall, singing as they did. Stairs would extend from the wall and they walked down to the stage below. When they reached the bottom, the *entire* wall split in two to reveal The Phantom’s lair.

Words don’t do it justice, but trust me, with a live orchestra, this was awesome to behold!

“Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.

 

Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Akroyd, and Ernie Hudson were the original Ghostbusters and launched this iconic comedy into common consciousness.

Although it is a comedy, I can remember the ghosts scaring me as a kid. Luckily, the comedic stylings of Murray, Ramis, and Akroyd kept me from running out of the room. As I grew in age, I caught the little in-jokes and innuendoes that I missed as a kid, and it got funnier. I also felt for Hudson’s character as he was just looking for a job and instead, got thrown into a mess of ghosts, ghouls, and cosmic abominations bent on destroying the universe.

Ray Parker Jr’s theme song has become iconic. The music video, however, not so much. But the song’s still great. And it’s sure to please the crowd when you play it during parties!

“This is Halloween” by Danny Elfman

 

Only Tim Burton could turn Claymation into something creepy. And this is how we get The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Composing legend Danny Elfman wrote the music for the film and even wrote the lyrics for the main song, “This is Halloween.”

Some may debate that this is really a Christmas movie, like those who debate if Die Hard is a Christmas movie or a summer blockbuster. While Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and those who argue differently are flat out wrong, The Nightmare Before Christmas straddles both. The movie can be watched from Halloween and on through Christmas.

And here’s why; it’s a story about a Halloween Spirit, Jack Skellington, who is disillusioned with scaring people. It’s just not as fun as it used to be.

Taking a walk in the woods one day, he stumbles upon a portal to take him to Christmas Town. Curious, Jack enters and sets off a chain of accidents that only he can fix. Along the way, Jack discovers the true nature of Christmas.

Halloween may be about scaring people, but Christmas is about giving. Thus, Jack decides he’ll give as much as he can to fill the hole where his heart should be.

He is, after all, a skeleton.

“For Whom The Bell Tolls” by Metallica

 

While heavy metal, this tune by Metallica was used for the intro to Zombieland. When I saw that, I thought, “That’s a fitting song.”

The heavy rifts punctuated by a tolling bell give the ominous feeling that something is coming for you. What it is, exactly, it’s clear. Which makes the song all the more creepy.

Vampires, zombies, werewolves, something else?

Who knows.

“I Put a Spell On You” by Screaming Jay Hawkins

 

Originally sung by Nina Simone, Screaming Jay Hawkins covers this hit with a rock twist and his growling vocals. It’s great for spooking trick-or-treaters!

“O Death” by Ralph Stanley

 

When I first saw the film, this tune struck me as odd. It comes about three-fourths of the way through O Brother, Where Art Thou? It's sung by a KKK leader, but the vocals are provided by Ralph Stanley.

The rest of the soundtrack had been full of old-timey hymns, instruments, and lively vocals. But this was a haunting dirge, meant for a funeral.

I bought the soundtrack and listened to this track over and over again. While the rest was about finding the silver lining, this one was about death. It’s really a conversation between a dying man and death itself. The dying man is pleading for another year. Of course, death decides to come when it wants to.

For a Halloween playlist, I figured this was a good one to end on.

While there are things that are scary, they pale in comparison to the eventual end. Everyone must make their peace with death, one way or another. For those who have overcome their fear of it, they still must contend with the fact that they’re days are numbered.

Whether you decide to listen to the entire playlist or just a few, at least you’ve got a good starting point for a killer Halloween playlist.

Happy Halloween!

6 Reasons to Laugh this Halloween

There are scary movies and then there are movies that spoof scary movies. This Halloween, let's laugh more than we scream.

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6 Reasons to Laugh this Halloween

This Halloween I’d much rather be laughing than screaming when I watch a movie. Instead of having to decide between a comedy or a horror film, why not enjoy both? Watch a horror-comedy! Now don’t worry, there are plenty of movies out there to scare you. You’ve got your Chucky films, gore-fest stuff, the found footage flicks and your straight up freaky killer films. Just get onto your streaming service and I’m sure they’re not far off. Before you do, just make sure you check out the best internet deals and packages in your area. Because nothing is scarier than paying more for your internet than you absolutely need to. Right? For those out there who don’t enjoy the jump scares, blood spraying profusely from an artery, or that creepy guy who just likes killing people- you’re in luck. There are plenty of horror spoof movies out there. Like the Wayan Brothers’ with their Scary Movie series and A Haunted House films. Then there are the movies with horror creatures in them that are put into odd situations, like Warm Bodies. These are humorous twists on standard comedy setups. What I’m talking about are the movies that mock the clichés of the classic horror films. There are spoofs, which are over-the-top in their humor. And then there are these types of films which aim to tell an actual story with a humorous take on the “scary movie format.” Trust me, they are well worth your time.

Zombieland


Who doesn’t like Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin? This move teamed up with all four actors in a comedic look at the zombie genre. Instead of putting people into the usual “zombie outbreak set in X location,” it was a story about people. Jesse Eisenberg’s character, Columbus, is quite lonely. Although he’s survived the zombie apocalypse and is continuing to survive, it’s not the way to live. This is more of a metaphor for modern life, but we can save that analysis for the critics. The point is, Columbus must overcome his own “rules for survival” to make a human connection. And in doing so he’ll not only survive, but he’ll also find happiness. It’s also chockful of great one-liners from Harrelson; “You got taken hostage by a twelve-year-old?” “You ever seen a lion limber up before it takes down a gazelle?” “My mama always told me someday I’d be good at something. Who’s a guessed that something’d be zombie-killing?” And his catchphrase… which shall be saved for later.

Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Young Frankenstein

Thanks to a lot of Dracula movies being made, Mel Brooks decided it was time to spoof them all. Hence, Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Instead of finding an actor who would just parody Christopher Lee, Brooks went and signed on one of the best comedic actors ever- Leslie Nielsen. Best known for his role as Lt. Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun series, Neilsen was perfect for this role. He did the whole Transylvania accent and creepy act so well. We also can’t forget Stephen Weber, Amy Yasbeck, Lysette Anthony, and Peter MacNicol. And we can’t forget Young Frankenstein either. This was Brooks’ first spoof of a classic Hollywood monster, and the movie is full of references to other Frankenstein films. Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, and Peter Boyle comprise a stellar cast that put the horror classic in its place. And instead of doing it in color, Brooks went with the black-and-white to give that antique feel. It still has that old classic horror film feel but filled with antics that will have you crying from laughter. These two spoofs were done just right. Not too much over-the-top antics, but the just the right amount of absurdity to really bring home the laughs. “Oh, I was having a day-mare.”

Evil Dead 2


In 1981, Sam Raimi created an independent horror flick called Evil Dead. It was scary enough, with some inventive camera techniques and gore. But the film tried too hard to be scary and came off as funny instead. Riding that success, Raimi did a sequel/reboot of the first film with Evil Dead 2. It was the same basic story but turned into a comedy-horror film. So now it could be over the top and everyone was okay with that. And this is where Bruce Campbell got his start, as Ash Williams. When Evil Dead 2 took off, Raimi made a third movie to create a trilogy- Army of Darkness. And now Ash is known as a cult hero on par with John McClane and Indiana Jones. In 2013 Raimi remade Evil Dead as a true horror film. And now it looks like that’ll be getting a sequel too. Enough about that, what’s important to know is that Evil Dead 2 is meant to be a cheap-looking horror film. Thanks to Campbell, it more than delivers on laughs.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

With all these horror movies about “evil,” has anyone stopped to look at it from “their” perspective? This is how we get Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, playing the titular Tucker and Dale respectively, are perfect for these roles. They’re just two hapless country boys who are trying to fix up their summer cabin, which also looks surprisingly like the cabin from Evil Dead. Anyway, a bunch of college students show up and start killing themselves. Or do they? As the two witless friends try to figure out what’s going on, hilarity ensues with several bodies involved. Be sure to look for how the normal horror movie tropes are NOT followed.

A Cabin in the Woods


While the previous five were out and out comedies, A Cabin in the Woods is something different. It satirizes the horror classics by making a dark comedy of what’s going on at this creepy-looking cabin. And yes, this cabin is similar to the one from Evil Dead as well. Apparently, there’s a certain type of cabin that’s scarier than others. I won’t ruin the end, but you’ll understand once you see it. Anyway, this film was made pre-Thor. Don’t be surprised when you see a thinner, more lean Chris Hemsworth. Along with Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams, these are the five college teens who go to “a cousin’s” cabin in some non-descript woods. Little do they know that they’re being watched by a shadowy no-name organization. The guys running this little operation are played by Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Amy Acker, and Brian White. To explain this organization would give away the entire plot of the movie. But know that Joss Whedon wrote the script with Drew Goddard, so it’s worth the time to watch it.

Laughter is Always Better

While a thriller is good for entertainment occasionally, laughter is by far a better choice. And with Halloween so close, there are plenty of chances to get scared, if you’re into that sort of thing. As for the rest who’d rather not create undue stress on their hearts, there are these comedy horror films. They’ll make you laugh and it’s been proven that laughter has more health benefits than screaming does. Underneath it all, you’re really doing something healthy for yourself when you watch a comedy. And not just any comedy, but a good comedy film.

Chucky is Preferable to these Films

There are scary films and then there are the truly terrifying films out there. Forget gore and jump-scares, there are truly terrifying stories out there.

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Chucky is Preferable to these Films

There are scary films and then there are the truly terrifying films out there. Of course, there are things that are scary; that creepy person who follows you a little too closely, someone walking up behind you and you not hearing them, and the odd bird or two that flies too close to you or your car while driving. These are scary, sure. They’re scary in the sense that they make you jump, or they play on the fear that someone or something is not quite right. In the latter situation, you worry that maybe you’re making a big deal out of nothing. Or are you? There are films that play on those fears. The fears that start out as blatantly irrational only to become eerily real. You know, films like Chucky. Of course, there’s no way a doll could be possessed. And you keep telling yourself that. Then there’s that one night you’re working late in a retail store and you pass by the toy section. At the end of the aisle is a display of little baby dolls. And just as you walk by this little display the lights go out. You hear the canned recording of children’s laughter. Then a footstep…

Cheap Horrors

That was a true story, by the way. I was working in a retail store right out of college and it was getting close to a holiday. As a result, I had a lot of clean up to do that night. The lights for the store were on a timer set to turn off at midnight. That little display I mentioned? It was hooked up to a motion sensor so that when people walked by, the little doll would wiggle and laugh to catch their attention. Well, when you walk by at 11:59:59 pm, the lights turn off as you trip the motion sensor. The store goes dark and little doll giggles and laughs. I have to remind myself of this every time I tell the story because it was just too much of a coincidence. Right? That’s cheap horror. The jump scares and the absurd amounts of blood that come gushing out of a wound. It’s a basic approach to scaring people. And it’s used a lot in horror movies. Rest assured, little baby dolls with canned laughed and giggles don’t terrify me. It was the situation that did.

Real Fear

Most of these cheap horrors are entertaining to watch. Mainly because the “fear” they present is due to an over-contrived situation. I don’t watch a lot of horror movies because I find the writing to be pretty basic. And if you’ve watched enough of them, you can easily pick who’s going to die, and in what order, within the first ten minutes of the film. But every now and then I end up watching a film or reading a book, that does send shivers down my spine. These films and books don’t deal with the paranormal or some cooked up and extreme situation. These are plausible. Not just possible, but plausible in that someone could pull these things off. And is most likely alive and well at this moment. After reading the book or watching the movie, I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen. I may not sleep well that night either. Eventually, I do get over the fear and figure out how to live a productive life. But if you’re looking for some genuine thrills for Halloween, check out these films, and at least one book. You can download them through your favorite streaming service, so long as you have the best internet deals available.

Contagion

 

I grew up on the northern coast of California. When I was about ten, I think, a small city nearby was used as the main filming location for a thriller called Outbreak. I didn’t watch the film until I was well into my twenties because the thought of a real outbreak scared me. Luckily this film just focused on one town becoming infected and was more action-oriented. Thus, I felt prepared to watch another Outbreak-like film. Then I watched Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh. I was wrong. Contagion was not just one city but the entire world. The virus that causes all the death begins presenting with normal cold symptoms. And then people begin to drop rather rapidly. It didn’t help that Matt Damon plays the dad of a child who gets infected. He survives and has to protect his one other child as the rest of the world falls apart. Then there were the scenes of empty streets and mass gravesites. That just made it worse. Thanks a lot, Soderbergh. There were other storylines but identified with Damon’s role because I am a dad. And the fact that a virus could move that fast was also freaky. Really makes you think twice about washing your hands.

Seven


Directed by David Fincher, Seven walks the fine line between thriller and horror. The film does a good job of focusing on the suspense parts instead of the gore and horror. But that stuff’s in there too, so there’s no avoiding it. The dark cinematography, the grainy scenes, and the bad weather in LA contributed to the bleak mood of the entire film. I’m not one for gross-out types of horror. My brother talked me into watching it. And knowing my brother’s choice in films, I should have ignored him. But here we are. Anyway, the gross-out stuff was easy enough to forget. It was the serial murderer that made it worse. The fact that there was someone out there deranged enough to go those lengths just made me shiver. After all, Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre were based on Ed Gein, a real person who really did gross-out, disgusting stuff to a corpse.

Arlington Road


What makes Arlington Road so terrifying is that I watched it as a teenager, well before the 9/11 attacks happened. At first, I was just creeped out that my neighbor might be a homegrown terrorist. And then after the attacks, I was even more freaked out because it seemed even more likely that I lived next to someone who could do horrible things like that. You see, Arlington Road was about a professor, played by Jeff Bridges, who suspects his next-door neighbor, Tim Robbins, is a homegrown terrorist. As the story progresses we get a distinct feeling that Bridges is right, and Robbins really is planning an attack on a government building. A minor detail here is that they live in the DC area, and Bridges teaches at an area university. Of course, Bridges girlfriend doesn’t believe him. Then she disappears. It gets scarier from there, but you get the point.

Apt Pupil


I haven’t seen this film yet, but I did read the short story it was based on. And it was written by Stephen King. I also listened to the audiobook, narrated with the haunting voice of Frank Mueller. Unlike most of King’s other works, this one doesn’t deal in paranormal anything. Set in the early 1970s, a teenager, Todd, discovers a Nazi war criminal is living in his small town. Although he has convincing forgeries that give him the alias of Denker, he’s really Dussander, the former commandant of the fictional Patin Concentration Camp. Instead of turning him in, Todd wants to hear the “gooshy” details of what it was really like during the war. Todd thinks the textbooks have watered down everything. It’s not exciting to read about it. He wants to hear it from someone who was there, in person. In exchange for his silence, Dussander, AKA Denker, agrees and begins to tell Todd what he wants to hear. And then they both start getting nightmares. The nightmares turn into daytime “activities.” Soon both are spiraling out of control. Not only is the short story scary, but the audiobook is even more so. Frank Mueller, the narrator, reads it in a solemn, reserved tone. He also does a superb job of imitating a German accent. As Dussander begins to lose his mind, Mueller’s narration gets creepier and creepier. This is apparent in reading Dussander’s lines of dialogue. To top it all off, King has a character give a sort of “final summation.” You see, Dussander is on various watch lists, both in the United States and abroad. A Nazi hunter from Israel gets involved in the story. I won’t spoil the details, but this guy, named Weiskopf, has a chance to sit down with a detective and explain the cold reasons behind what made Dussander so efficient at his job. Dussander wasn’t sadistic to start with. He was bad, no doubt, but he wanted to rise in the ranks because he believed in Hitler. To please Der Fuhrer, he worked harder to make sure all orders were carried out “swiftly and efficiently.” Thanks to Dussander’s attention to detail, he figured out more efficient ways of carrying out Hitler’s “Final Solution.” This is why he earned the nickname “The Blood Fiend of Patin.” He found ways, through accounting, to make sure he met or exceeded his quotas. This is why, as Weiskopf explains, that if a government ever tries something close to what Hitler did, it’s not the psychos or the sadists we should worry about. It’s the accountants. Because they’ll find ways to calmly, coldly—efficiently—wipe out large portions of a population.

Save the MCU's Continuity with Bishop

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuing to grow, how can we keep up with it all? For this we call in Bishop, a character who can save the continuity!

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Save the MCU's Continuity with Bishop
With Captain Marvel set to premiere soon, the events of Avengers: Infinity War to contend with, and Disney buying out most of Fox Entertainment’s assets, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting rather large and unwieldy. To solve this problem, the MCU needs to bring in Bishop. For those who are not familiar with the Marvel character, hold tight, we’ll get to him soon. First, here’s the problem that he’s got to solve.

Continuity

Marvel and any successful comic book publisher had a handful of titles to start with. When those took off, they created years and years of backstory. With the X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, and similar titles, that history turned into decades worth of material. It didn’t stop there though. Characters were introduced and given their own series. And then more characters, some of them getting their own series too. Then came new teams. And then new lineups with old team names. Superheroes died, resurrected, died again, and then came back to life…again. Sometimes someone would die and another hero would take up their superhero alter ego. And when the original one came back to life—well—how do you tell the difference? This was all well and good for someone who was there from the beginning. If you got sick and missed a few issues, you had some reading to catch up on. Then there were those who wanted to jump on long after the series got started. You had to go find the first issues, read those, and catch up on the history. Or, in my case, my girlfriend needed to understand why I was so engrossed with these comic books. I was about to make her sit down and read them all, but she refused. To preserve our relationship, I relented and gave a quick synopsis to catch her up. And then we got married. And I stopped reading comic books. When I try to read a comic book these days, I just accept that I’ll be lost when it comes to backstory.

The MCU

When Marvel finally got their act together and made a decent superhero movie with Iron Man, they started simple enough. You just had one movie to track. Then came The Incredible Hulk. Soon the MCU had the same problem their source material had- continuity. While each movie does a good job of being self-contained, there’s still the larger MCU to contend with. Fans, both comic readers and non-comic readers, have a difficult time keeping track of all the storylines. Not to mention also keeping up with other responsibilities of life- jobs, families, basic hygiene and whatnot. As much as I would like to appear “above it all,” there’s part of me that wants to watch all the movies to keep track of all that’s going on. No matter how mature I claim to be, the comic-reading-kid inside me refuses to be ignored. For the time-being, I get by reading synopses. Don’t judge me. I’m not proud of it, but we all make mistakes in life. This is how I know what happened in Avengers: Infinity War without ever seeing it. Again, I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but rest assured, I have to deal with this shame every day of my life. Throughout all of this, I’m concerned with the continuity issues that are now popping up all over the MCU. There is also the possibility, however remote, that the X-Men will finally get to be involved with the greater MCU and stop being quarantined to their own little universe. If that were to finally happen, there would be a lot more continuity issues to handle. Will the MCU become too big to be sustainable? Then I remember that there’s someone who can help us with this.

Bishop

Lucas Bishop has been, and will always be, a man outside of time. Hailing from Aborigine ancestry, all the way from Australia, Bishop was born a mutant in some future from an alternate dimension. Being a mutant, he was branded with an “M” over his left eye. Although meant to forever brand him as an outsider, it actually gave him a cool character trait. Anyway, this mutant grew up hearing stories of the mighty X-Men and wanted to one day resurrect the hero team. It wasn’t for him, for the millions of oppressed mutants of his time. Long story short- he joined a law-enforcement organization from his time and began pursuing a criminal named Fitzroy. Fitzroy gained control of a device that allowed him not just to travel through time, but across dimensions. Bishop, ever the determined one, pursued him through his own means. Once he caught him, however, both men lost their ability to jump through time and space. Now Bishop was stuck in the “normal” universe.

The Continuity Saver

With Lucas Bishop as the guy who knew about various other dimensions, the character can serve a unique purpose- bridging the gap between universes. It also wouldn’t hurt to have him jump in and out of the other Avenger’s storylines. This would serve two purposes; 1) Get a quick refresher on what’s going on, 2) Serve as a starting point for newcomers. Think of it; an Avengers-style movie with all the big names, albeit in smaller roles than normal, getting to meet Bishop and tying together all the storylines in a less convoluted story. And best yet, there will be minimal effect on the other all continuity! It’s a win-win-win etc.

Who Will Be Bishop?

The only real issue will be casting the character himself. For those who’ve seen Bishop, you know not just any actor will do. I, personally, would vote for Denzel Washington. But if he’s too expensive, then there’s Sterling Brown, Michael B. Jordan, and Daniel Kaluuya. I’m sure there are more qualified actors for the role, but these three have already proven their skill in physical acting. Not to mention they pull off the gritty toughness that Bishop is known for. He’s not a carefree and aloof mutant who easily spouts sarcastic quips. BishopHe’s a serious man who says little. Casting decisions aside, the MCU should now have the rights to Bishop since Disney bought most of the entertainment assets from Fox Entertainment. So all that’s left to ask is- when are going to see the X-Men, and by extension, Bishop, show up in the Avenger’s storylines? Maybe I’m stating what others already have or asking a question that’s already been asked? But if more and more people are asking, then Marvel will have to give us a reality-hopping flick centered on Bishop. Right? Either way, I’ll have to make do with catching up on Marvel movies when I have the time. As soon as they show up on Netflix, I put it on my queue, or when they get put on the streaming option. You’ll have to do the same. But make sure that you’ve got the best internet deals and packages. This way catching up on all things Marvel will be a little more cost-efficient. In the meantime, what’s the best way to approach a Bishop movie? How would you write that story?

RCN; A Powerhouse by Any Standard

RCN is one of the biggest Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the nation. This "small" ISP is regularly rated as one of the best ISPs available.

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RCN; A Powerhouse by Any Standard
RCN (Residential Communications Network), is one of the biggest Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the nation. Based out of Princeton, New Jersey, this ISP is regularly rated as one of the best ISPs out there by PC Mag. They work tirelessly to achieve these rankings and awards. You’d think a company with this much effort and acclaim would be one of the bigger ones out there. Well, it technically is…but not in terms of employees or presence. This puts RCN in a unique position.

By the Numbers

Rated as the eighth largest ISP in the nation, RCN is available in only four states, not including the DC metro area. You can find them in New York, the greater Lehigh Valley area, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and as mentioned before, the DC metro area. This small presence is a strategic one. By setting up shop in these major cities and highly populated areas, RCN is able to provide internet, cable TV and voice to a significant portion of the overall population. So it works in their favor. But just being present here is not enough. RCN is still “small.” They’re always competing with the bigger companies. And it’s easy to assume that a small company is an easy target. Sometimes this is true. Sometimes it’s not. RCN falls into the latter category.

Where it Counts

To match the competition from the bigger companies, RCN is working hard to beat them on a metric that’s always tough- customer service. According to PC Mag, RCN is consistently ranked as one of the best in overall satisfaction. That alone is an interesting feat as they have a smaller customer base to work from. But think about it; for such a small customer base, RCN is able to garner such a following that they beat out companies two and three times their size. And this goes beyond customer satisfaction as well. RCN is also good on speed. To prove this, we go to Netflix. Netflix regularly monitors the providers who stream their service. They check download speeds during a specific time of the day- prime time. This is usually the hours of 5 pm to 10 pm. It doesn’t matter what time zone you’re in, prime time is easily the time of day when most customers are streaming their content. Netflix tracks this data throughout the year. Therefore, from August 2017 to August 2018, RCN ranked at 3.9 Mbps. That puts them in 19th position overall. Again, keep in mind that other slots in this list are occupied by much larger carriers. And some of those carriers are coming n behind RCN. Part of the reason for this is that RCN offers fiber connections in most of its service areas. They also have cable TV and voice services as well. You can bundle all three if you like. So check out RCN internet deals and packages to make sure you’re not missing out.

RCN is Advancing

While RCN is staying small, for the moment, they’re working to make improvements. For example; RCN Boston is one of the first ISPs to use green electricity. This came about back in February 2018. RCN Boston’s energy manager secured the vendor contract with IGS Energy, a green energy provider. Thanks to windmills, RCN Boston will have a smaller carbon footprint. In other news, at the beginning of 2018, RCN Lehigh Valley announced they were rolling out 1-gigabit communities. And that’s just news from 2018 alone. This puts RCN on the leading edge when it comes to ISPs. So often the larger companies are content to sit back and “do things the way they’ve always been done.” While this may work for a time, it will never delay the inevitable. Reminds me of another thing that was “small” but became a decisive factor.

USS Defiant

Before Hollywood began rebooting the franchise, and not making it any better, there was Star Trek: Deep Space 9. This series diverged from the original Star Trek in many ways; it was set on a space station and not the USS Enterprise, it had a mythic arc for the entire series and not self-contained episodes, and the Captain sported an awesome goatee by about the third season. As mentioned before, the show was set on the eponymous space station Deep Space 9. Deep Space 9 had once been the property of a foreign government that had subjugated another species. In the wake of a drawdown, the Federation took over the station and attempted to broker a treaty to include all three. Since the show was set on a space station, and space stations largely remain in one place, the ability to travel to other worlds was limited. In the season three premiere, the writers of the DS9 solved that problem.

Get a Better Ship

Up to that point, any “war ship” of the Federation was a small craft meant for short-range combat. Oh, and they were called “escort ships” so as not to sound too aggressive. The USS Enterprise, from both the original and Next Generation series, was a massive ship. Plenty of room to move around, spacious quarters, and the second one even had its own holodeck. Thanks to their size, these ships had weapons and shields for defense. So if the situation called for it, the Enterprise could fight back or come to the defense of an ally. The drawback here was their size. In reality, a ship that size wouldn’t be hampered by weight or friction in space. The budgets of a weekly sci-fi drama, however, made “realistic” depictions of space battles difficult. These shows were made back in the day of props and green screens. Thus, any “action” sequences of the ships involved moving a prop in front of a green screen and trying to make it look believable. By the time DS9 was in full swing, there was computer-generated imagery. This allowed the producers of DS9 to do two things- create more realistic space battles, and have ships maneuver more gracefully. By that point, however, everyone believed that a ship the size of the Enterprise was sluggish at best. Also, DS9 introduced some new enemies that required new technology to fight. Or, more accurately, technology the Federation hadn’t fully utilized. This is where we got the USS Defiant. The Defiant was created to combat a previous enemy, or so the narrative went.

Small Powerhouse

This ship was small compared to the Enterprise and others like. In fact, it was so small that space inside was at a premium. Quarters were barely the size of bunk beds. And there was no holodeck. While most of the amenities found on normal starships were removed, the weapons and powerplant were not. The Defiant, despite its size, still carried a warp core that could power the Enterprise. They also loaded it down with the normal weapon complement of a standard starship. There was a perk too- a cloaking device. The Defiant, small and swift, go also go invisible. Thanks to this “little ship,” the crew of DS9 could travel away from the station as they needed. Most of the time that was to drop kick bad guys and save stranded allies. And thanks to advanced effects, the Defiant moved gracefully through space, literally running circles around its opponents. Just like RCN is doing.

RCN and The Defiant

While it’s a “small” ISP, RCN is running circles around its competition, and deftly weaving in and out of spaces the bigger ones can’t. While the big companies may have the money and reach that RCN doesn’t, they’re slow to react. This is putting RCN in a superior position. As the small ISP leverages this advantage, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more people switch to RCN as soon as its available to them.