Toronto After Dark delivers it’s first spectral tale of the festival, with the beautifully crafted Hungarian film, Post Mortem from director Peter Bergendy. This one, has all the trappings of a classic ghost story, and does it right, well, and without going overboard on the visual effects. Tomas (Viktor Klem) is recovering from a near…
Tag: ghosts
Ghostbusters (2016)- Paul Feig
It’s been five years since Ghostbusters (2016) came out. It’s been a year since Ghostbusters: Afterlife was supposed to be released (it’s now been pushed to November 2021), since then, the vitriol around an all-female lead cast has dispersed, and perhaps the film can be judged anew. I thought it was okay when it first…
The X-Files (1998) – Dreamland II, and How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
The body swap two parter with guest star Michael McKean comes to a conclusion this week with Dreamland II. Written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz this episode was first broadcast on 6 December, 1998. With Mulder (David Duchovny) still stuck in Fletcher’s (McKean) body, and Fletcher in his, Scully (Gillian Anderson) finally…
In Conversation with John Landis
Today is my birthday, so it seems like the perfect moment to share this wonderful gift DK Canada gave me. Director John Landis has overseen the compilation of a new anthology, Haunted Houses, and it is perfect reading for the Halloween season. It’s a fantastic collection, and DK Canada arranged for me to speak with…
The Tenth Girl (2019) – Sara Faring
In my continued search for engaging and new horror, I delve into lots of books and consult lots of lists, new and old. Well, on a few of those lists, I found The Tenth Girl mentioned and I went to work tracking down a copy to read. It’s a bit of a Gothic tale, set…
John Landis Presents Haunted Houses: Classic Stories of Doors That Should Never Be Opened (2020)
It seems fall is here, and as the leaves start to turn, one can’t help but turn one’s thoughts to Halloween and ghost stories. It seems while I was working through John Landis’ Monsters in the Movies, he turned around and released a collection of classic haunted house stories now available from DK Canada. Landis…
The Devil You Know (2006) – Mike Carey
UK author Mike Carey launched a new series with The Devil You Know, which sees him visiting territory that is very familiar to him considering his past writing credits, including The Girl With The Gifts as well as the comic series Lucifer, and Constantine. He treads the realm of the supernatural noir easily in a…
Ninth House (2019) – Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy Stern isn’t like other people. She can see ghosts, and Yale has recruited her for the fabled Ninth House, Lethe. They watch over the other Eight Houses on campus, houses which delve into areas of magic that aren’t taught in regular classes. Galaxy, Alex for short, was recruited by the Dean, and is paired…
The Magic Sword (1962) – Bert I. Gordon
Basil Rathbone stars in the next film featured in DK Canada’s immensely enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book. As I delve into the chapter on Dragons & Dinosaurs I’m, so far coming across a number of films I had never even heard of. This family fantasy adventure is another one. Rathbone plays the evil wizard Lodac,…
The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918) – Willis O’Brien
It’s more dinosaurs as I journey through the Dragons & Dinosaurs in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies. This time I have a look at the early silent short, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Clocking in at eighteen minutes, this little title must have been made to show off the special effects of the time,…
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) – Gore Verbinski
The third volume of Disney’s theme park attraction turned tentpole franchise is the next selection in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book as I explore the chapter on Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales. I’ll admit this instalment in the series is a little top heavy with a convoluted plot, but as showcased in the…
The Family Plot (2016) – Cherie Priest
Haunted house stories take a fine hand to craft and make them entertaining, believable, and scary. Cherie Priest accomplishes all of that with her superior horror novel, The Family Plot. Music City Salvage is barely staying afloat, and Charles Dutton the owner, risks everything to keep it afloat when he buys the Withrow house for…
