Mexican Gothic is a wonderfully lush, and haunting novel, embracing all the familiar tropes of the Gothic genre, romance, the old dark house, family secrets, and the hints of something preter- or supernatural all juxtaposed into Mexico of the 1950s. We’re introduced to Noemi, a vivacious, smart, stubborn, flirtatious young woman who is still looking…
Tag: haunted
Joyland (2013) – Stephen King
I should just listen to my gut. Just because my brain isn’t initially sure I’ll enjoy a Stephen King book that doesn’t fall into what I think is my ‘usual fare’ doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy it. In fact, my gut constantly reminds me of titles that have surprised me, and we can add Joyland…
Before I Wake (2016) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan’s next film, which he co-wrote with Jeff Howard, was Before I Wake. Leaving behind the real-world terrors he visited in Hush, he delves into more supernatural territory and family drama, a realm in which he truly excels. This time out, we are introduced to Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark Hobson (Thomas Jane) a…
Night Call: A Walking Shadows Novel (2020) – Brenden Carlson
Brenden Carlson’s Night Call, available from Dundurn Press is set in the past, an alternate 1933, and yet in describing it, I lean towards the phrase retro-future noir. We are introduced to the cynical hard-boiled detective, Elias Roche, who is haunted by an incident in his past and walks a fine line between the law…
The Saturday Night Ghost Club (2018) – Craig Davidson
A too-short novel that handles the delicacy of memory, nostalgia, growing up in the 80s, and ghost stories. Craig Davidson’s poignant and engaging The Saturday Night Ghost Club is an emotional and compelling read. Jake, the story’s narrator relates to the reader a coming-of-age summer as he, his new best friend, the friend’s sister, and…
The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930) – Agatha Christie
Long before DC introduced us to Harley Quinn, a variation of the traditional harlequin character, Agatha Christie created her own Harley Quin, and introduced him to the world in a collection of short stories first published in 1930. This Harley Quinn is a tall mysterious man who appears at prime opportunities in the story, and…
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – Alejandro G. Inarritu
Micheal Keaton shines in Alejandro Innarritu’s Birdman. He brings a level to his performance that you know is based on personal experience, and delivers an Oscar-nominated virtuoso performance as Riggan Thompson, an actor who walked away from a billion dollar superhero franchise and is now worried about his relevance while being haunted by his past….
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…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Fusion, and Rogue Planet
Captain’s log: date unknown Rick Berman and Brannon Braga come up with the story that was turned into a teleplay by Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong. It first debuted on 27 February, 2002. The Enterprise comes into contact with an usual group of Vulcans. It seems they embrace their emotions, a fact that bothers T’Pol…
Pet Sematary (2019) – Blu-Ray Review
The most recent Stephen King adaptation, and remake of the 1989 film, comes home on DVD and blu-ray today from Paramount Pictures. Featuring some pretty significant departures from the source material, but arguably faithful to it at the same time, this variation of the classic monkey’s paw tale is a fairly solid tale, while not…
The Mind Reels 