This week, I dig into another Dan Simmons horror novel, and decided on Summer of Night. While not necessarily derivative of Stephen King’s It, there are striking similarities, although both prove to be very entertaining. Set in 1960, Simmons novel doesn’t quite mine the nostalgia factor as King did (It made me long for a…
Tag: creepy
NOS4A2 (2013) – Joe Hill
So I wanted something spooky and creepy, but needed a quick respite from revisting King’s work. I kept it in the family and dug into his son’s novel, NOS4A2. This one feels almost epic in size as we follow the horrors committed by Charlie Talent Manx and the life of a woman, Victoria McQueen who…
The Haunting of Hill House (1963) – Shirley Jackson
Having just finished the amazing Netflix series (seriously, watch it) and loving the Robert Wise film, I felt it was time to re-read the original novel, something I’m sure I hadn’t done for about twenty years. In fact, I think I read it just before that abomination by Jan De Bont was released in 1999….
Miami Vice (1985) – Prodigal Son
The season two opener was a feature length entry for the hit series. Directed by Paul Micheal Glaser (Strasky), it was written by Daniel Pyne, the second season got underway on 27 September, 1985. Vice detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) head north to Tubbs’ old stomping grounds in New…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – The Return of Doctor Mysterio, and The Pilot
The Doctor (Capaldi) returned to screens after a year away with the 2016 Holiday Special. Written by Steven Moffat The Return of Soctor Mysterio aired on Christmas Day. This light-hearted adventure follows the Doctor’s encounters with a young boy (and later man) named Grant (Logan Hoffman and Justin Chatwin) who loves his comic books and…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – Kill the Moon, and Mummy on the Orient Express
The Doctor (Capaldi), Clara (Jenna Coleman) and one of her students, Courtney (Ellis George) find themselves in a strange adventure this week in Peter Harness’ Kill the Moon. This episode first aired on 4 October, 2014, and sees the trio and the TARDIS on the moon, and on Earth of the 21st century, as our…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1992) – Schisms, and True Q
Captain’s log: stardate 46154.2 Airing on 19 October, 1992, this one has always been a favourite, and is a bit creepy. Written by Brannon Braga from a story by Jean Louise Matthias and Ronald Wilkerson. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is suffering from insomnia, but he soon learns he is not the only one, and the crew…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Rebel Flesh, and The Almost People
This week’s journey in the TARDIS brings us a two-parter written by Matthew Graham that aired on 21 and 28 May, 2011. The Doctor (Smith), Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) find themselves on 22nd century Earth, after getting caught in a solar tsunami. There, on a remote island, a factory and its employees…
Doctor Who (Matt Smith) – The Lodger, and The Pandorica Opens
James Corden shows up this week in the very entertaining episode, The Lodger. Written by Gareth Roberts, this episode first aired on 12 June, 2010. The Doctor (Smith) is separated from Amy (Karen Gillan) and the TARDIS by a mysterious event that seems to be located around a flat that houses Craig Owens (Corden). So,…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – The Gift, The Dummy, and Young Man’s Fancy
Buckle up, there’s the sign post up ahead! It’s time to return to The Twilight Zone, courtesy of Paramount Pictures The Complete Series on blu-ray. First up is The Gift. Written by series creator Rod Serling, this episode debuted on 27 April, 1962. Williams (Geoffrey Horne) is an alien. He just crashed south of the…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Forest of the Dead, and Midnight
Picking up where last week’s episode left us, Forest of the Dead is a stunning conclusion to the story, especially if you’re revisiting the series and you know who River Song (Alex Kingston) really is. Written by Steven Moffat this episode debuted on 7 June, 2008. The Vashta Nerada, shadow beings, are still stalking the…
American Graffiti (1973) – George Lucas
George Lucas’ nostalgic American Graffiti is the next stop on the list of recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Jailhouse Rock. While not a musical in the technical sense of breaking into song and dance, the music and the voice of deejay Wolfman Jack play an…
