The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylod

The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…

Imaginary Friend (2019) – Stephen Chbosky

Stephen Chobsky, perhaps currently best known as the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, gets his Stephen King on with his latest novel, Imaginary Friend, a tale of horror that pits a small town against itself in a battle of good versus evil. At the heart of the story is young Christopher, and…

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) – Chuck Russell

The third entry in the Elm Street franchise is a lot of people’s favorites after the first film, and it’s easy to see why, with story credits from Wes Craven and Frank Darabont this instalment features Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) on the cusp, he’s still scary, but he’s also starting to introduce some quips to…

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) – Jack Sholder

One year after Wes Craven changed the horror genre (again) with the introduction of the dream stalker, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), New Line Cinema delivered the first follow-up sequel. All of the Nightmare sequels can be hit or miss, with the third one arguably the best of the bunch. And while the film was successful…

Get Out (2017) – Jordan Peele

With his directorial debut, Jordan Peele became a horror writer/director to watch, and cemented me as a fan. Crafting an unnerving and terrifying story layered in social commentary, Peele used the genre to deliver a powerful story about race, one that is executed with precision and perfection. Balancing mystery, truly horrific moments, and a sense…

Redemption Ark (2002) -Alastair Reynolds

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…

The Lost Weekend (1945) – Billy Wilder

I dig into a new movie book today, Ten Bad Dates with De Niro, which have a number of different chapters and submissions. There’s going to be a lot of interesting films in this one. The first section is titles Losing it at the Movies – Pure Emotional Responses to Cinema. I found myself coming…

Burnt Offerings (1973) – Robert Marasco

Burnt Offerings is the type of tale that I’m glad I came to at this age as opposed to my early teen years when I first discovered horror novels. I say that because at that time, I would have hated it no matter who recommended it to me. I had discovered King, and The Shining…

The Troop (2014) – Nick Cutter

I’m continuing to venture through horror novel territory, and this week I was absolutely delighted, and then creeped and freaked out the further I got into it, to read The Troop by Canadian author Nick Cutter. Set on Falstaff island, a tiny little tuft of land just off the north shore of Prince Edward Island,…

In the Tall Grass (2012) – Stephen King and Joe Hill

This week I decided to dig into something quick, and unnerving, and settled in for Joe Hill, and his father, Stephen King’s short novella, In the Tall Grass. And it’s wonderfully unnerving, bloody, and frightening. The concept of the story is so simple, and that is where some of the true horror lies. Cal and his…