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: horrifying
Clown in a Cornfield (2020) – Adam Cesare
Some times you know everything you need to know by the title of the book, and Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield is exactly that, a spin on the slasher teen genre this is a rapid-fire read, that tells you exactly what you are getting into with the title. Quinn, and her doctor father, have…
Nightmare Alley (1946) – William Lindsay Gresham
Before I see del Toro’s new film, which is an adaptation of this novel, I wanted to visit the source material, because I do love me a good noir story, and this one is a classic. And perhaps because the beats and the tropes of the noir genre are so familiar it’s easy to suss…
TIFF 2021: Hold Your Fire dir. Stefan Forbes
New York. 1973. While it looks like a different time on film, not everything has changed, and consequently, Forbes documentary, which looks at a hostage situation that featured around the clock coverage at the time is just as relevant today as it was then. There’s errors on both sides, accusations, instituionalised racism, redemption for some,…
The X-Files (1996) – Home, and Teliko
Some Andy Griffith jokes and a great Babe reference doesn’t quite keep the darkness in bay at what was and is considered the most controversial episode of The X-Files ever. Glen Morgan and James Wong delivered ‘Home’ to the viewing public on 11 October, 1996 and it disturbed a lot of viewers. Agents Mulder (David…
Sawkill Girls (2018) – Claire Legrand
So I needed to try something different this week, to break up the cycle of books I’ve been reading, but obviously, I had to find it interesting and enjoyable. Claire Legrand’s Sawkill Girls is just that. I came across the title in a list of books to fill that Stranger Things craving, and was duly…
Black Sunday (1960) – Mario Bava
Mario Bava’s fantastic gothic feature, Black Sunday aka The Mask of Satan is the next title in Ten Bad Dates With De Niro. This brilliant film, which I had never seen before, has all the enjoyable gothic ambience of Corman’s takes on Poe like The Fall of the House of Usher, and some wonderful gore…
Strange Weather (2017) – Joe Hill
Joe Hill delivers another great read with this collection of four short novels, all of whom, in some form or another tie in with strange weather. Each of the stories are about one hundred pages each, and completely captivate with Hill’s addictive narratives, and engaging characters, details, and horrifying moments. Snapshot delves into a bit…
The Institute (2019) – Stephen King
It doesn’t say it directly, but The Institute, the latest King book I’ve read, could exist in the same world as The Shop from Firestarter, and one wonders if perhaps there’s a connection to the Dark Tower and the breakers or The Dead Zone. The tale follows young Luke Ellis, a bit of a boy…
Toronto After Dark 2019: The Assent (2019) – Pearry Teo
There’s a Barker/Lovecraftian feel to the gritty dirtiness of this entry in the Toronto After Dark film festival. Couched in a house covered in unnerving art, and filled with troubling apparitions and visions there is an aggressive edge to The Assent in the way it is shot, and the way the story unfolds. Mostly. Halfway…
The Mind Reels 