I will be the very first to admit that when it comes to slowly building tension, dimly-lit hallways, and ominous music rooted in an ever-increasing progression of minor chords, I am a wimp. I don’t like scary movies, and never have. As a child, I was so terrified by my older sister’s description of The…
The Scariest Movie of My Life: Ringu
“It can’t be that scary,” I told myself as I slid the DVD into my beat-up player and turned on the TV. I was 14, we’d just moved to a new country, and with the school year still a few days from officially starting, I was desperate for something to do that didn’t involve unpacking…
Scariest Movie of My Life: Uzumaki
I love me some horror movies. At parties or family gatherings, start talking to me about the latest rom-com and you will see my eyes glaze over. But mention the latest slasher flick, and I will immediately jump to attention. I will also be the first to admit that I don’t have the highest standards…
Laila & Luther: If You Go Down To The Woods Today, You’re Sure of a Big Surprise
Here are some important things in the world of sex: arousal, desire, active consent, i.e. the decision to get fucky made by all, appreciation of each body involved, a jolly good time, and positive interaction following the deed.
Finding Feminism in Horror: Part I
Finding feminist ideology in the horror film genre can feel like searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore film. It can seem a futile effort considering the most popular horror tropes are particularly unflattering toward the female characters: the final virginal survivor, “ugly duckling” killer, the commonality of sexual assault as plot device, etc. Then…
Here There Be Monsters: November’s Comic Club Pick
Our October Comic Club pick was Volume One of Tim Seeley and Mike Norton’s Revival. It’s the story of a small town in Wisconsin. In many ways it’s like every other small town out there. Except for one little thing – the dead have started coming back to life. And when you first hear that you…
A Trip Down Fear Street: Lights Out #12
Welcome to the third review in the Fear Street reread project in celebration of R.L. Stine rebooting the series! You can read the previous review here. Tagline It all happens in the dark… Synopsis Holly Flynn is cajoled into being a camp counselor for her uncle’s struggling Nightwing Camp. Unfortunately, it’s not a camp for…
Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens, Oh My!
Certain things you wouldn’t ponder combining, not because you don’t think they’d go together, simply that the thought never crossed your mind. Yet, when two things do come together in your mind, you want to slap your forehead and go “of course!.” That’s how I felt after reading Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens; of course!
Scariest Movie of My Life: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The movie—or movie series—that has scared me for the longest and with the greatest intensity is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. The original (which is technically titled The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) came out before I was born and has loomed in the shadows my whole life. Growing up in Texas, it was impossible not…
Scariest Movie of My Life: Poltergeist 2
When I was a kid I stayed up late one night and watched Poltergeist with my older brothers. I was only twelve, and that isn’t exactly a kid’s movie, but it wasn’t scary at all with those two cracking jokes every millisecond. I thought it was a cool movie and bragged at school about how…
Suburban Gothic, with Matthew Gray Gubler and Kat Dennings, Is Rad
Full disclosure: I’m volunteering at Toronto After Dark Film Festival, and while I can’t trash the festival to hell and back (would I? I would not), I’m not required to give the films good press. This one deserves it though. Suburban Gothic Director: Richard Bates Jr. Writers: Richard Bates Jr., Mark Bruner Cast: Mathew Gray Gubler,…
Off With Her Head! Klimt Goes To Drakulon: A Discussion of Art, Reference, and Story
Gorgeous, right? This is Judith and the Head of Holofernes, or Judith I, by Klimt. Gustav Klimt is enduringly famous, as his work should be — it’s also often referenced. Judith, the subject of the picture, is an Old Testament heroine who achieves political grace by gratifying and then beheading the general who is ransacking her…