I return to the universe of Alastair Reynold’s space opera this week, with a story that ties directly into Revelation Space, though it also ties into the expanded universe as glimpsed in Chasm City. The Inhibitors are back, they are an ancient mechanical race that prunes back intelligent life, stopping them when they venture too…
Tag: dark
The Red House (1947) – Delmer Daves
I dug into another of the trauma inducing titles from the Ten Bad Dates With De Niro movie book, and this one is pretty dark, filled with intimations that can be drawn out as you observe the action, and the undertones at work in this film. Edward G. Robinson headlines this back country melodrama that…
Chasm City (2001) – Alastair Reynolds
Alastair Reynolds next science fiction novel, Chasm City, takes place in the same universe as Revelation Space but is not a sequel, instead we are given a future noir tale of revenge, and the human ability to commit good and horrible acts, redemption, and discovery. We visit a couple of planets that were mentioned in…
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2011) – Citdael Rescue, Padawan Lost, and Wookie Hunt
“Without honor, victory is hollow.” With this trio of episodes we’ve reached the end of the third season, and what a way to amp things up. This season has been filled with sharp writing, new and amazing characters, and some satisfying story and character arcs for our heroes. Citadel Rescue was written by Matt Michnovetz…
Toronto After Dark 2019 – Werewolf (2018) – Adrian Panek
A unique entry in Toronto After Dark’s film festival has its Canadian premiere at Scotiabank Theater this evening, the Polish film Werewolf. Filled with shades of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Werewolf shows the horror of war, the deconstruction of our humanity by the most brutal cruelty man has ever known, the Nazis and their…
The Conversation (1974) – Francis Ford Coppola
Gene Hackman stars in one of the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Lives of Others as I work my way through DK Canada’s exceptional The Movie Book. Written and directed by Coppola, the film features some very recognizable names including Harrison Ford (playing the closest he’s ever been to a…
Stoker (2013) – Chan-wook Park
The next title on the What Else to Watch list in DK Canada’s highly enjoyable The Movie book, following my screening of Oldboy is another Park film featuring Matthew Goode, Mia Wasikowska, and Nicole Kidman. If I hadn’t already immersed myself in some of Park’s films, as well as some of the other darker films…
The Hunger (2018) – Alma Katsu
There is a sense of dread and menace that seems to ooze off the pages of Alma Katsu’s retelling of the haunting, and infamous Donner Party expedition. Everyone knows, or thinks they know the story, and Katsu uses that troubling knowledge and lets it hang over every page – you know each of the characters…
Sleepy Hollow (1999) – Tim Burton
DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book takes me into classic ghost tales territory with the next film that haunts the chapter on spirits, Tim Burton’s take on the legend of Sleepy Hollow. His bloody film, which serves as his version of the tale, also serves as a nod and homage to Hammer Films as…
Horrorstor (2014) – Grady Hendrix
Grady Hendrix has quickly become one of my favorite writers, his ability to balance real and comedic moments with truly terrifying scares. So, when I came across his first novel, Horrorstor, I was delighted and snapped it right up, and couldn’t wait to dig into it. It did not disappoint. Finding that perfect balance between…
The Mind Reels 