Ghostbusters (1984) – Ivan Reitman

A chapter on ghosts in the cinema, as illustrated by DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies, would be remiss without covering the 80s comedy classic, Ghostbusters, starring Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. I remember when I first heard about this movie, first heard the classic song, saw…

A Head Full of Ghosts (2015) – Paul Tremblay

That ENDING! I dug into what is supposed to be one of the scariest books in recent years, and I’ll testify that it is a solid, well-crafted tale with some real scares, and lots of things to worry about. Meredith, Merry to her friends and family, is meeting with a writer who is looking to…

Planet Terror (2007) – Robert Rodriguez

The final film for my viewing in the zombie chapter of the very enjoyable Monsters in the Movies from DK Canada. Paired with Death Proof, the film was made and released as an homage to the low budget grindhouse films of the 70s where it was all about selling tickets, and if the films could…

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…

Dead Alive (1992) – Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson’s wonderfully over the top gore fest horror comedy, Dead Alive aka Braindead is the next zombie title to stumble out of the catacombs of the zombie genre as featured in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Mocies book. By turns hilarious, and bloody, the film is so extreme in its kills, and it’s gore, in…

Pet Sematary (1989) – Mary Lambert

DK Canada’s Monster in the Movies continues to guide me through their chapter on zombies, and Paramount’s first adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel arguably falls well within the realm of the undead. It became a cult classic, and the film has aged fairly well, it is, however, populated with television actors, which at…

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…

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) – Wes Craven

My exploration of the zombie genre with DK Canada’s eminently enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book continues with this over-fictionalized adaption of a real anthropological exploration and documentation of real-life zombies by ethnobotanist Wade Davis. Director Wes Craven used Davis’ book of the same name as the launching point for his horror film starring Bill…

Le Notti Del Terrore (1981) – Andrea Bianchi

Somehow, we’re still in the so bad, we’re not quite sure they’ve come around to good again section of the zombie oeuvre in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies. I’m definitely getting a fresh perspective on this sub-genre as it seems I’ve been very fortunate in my selection of zombie movies up to this time….

Rabid (1977) – David Cronenberg

The next film in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies section is a Cronenberg body horror film that doesn’t really fall into the zombie chapter that it has been put in. It could have worked (kind of) in the vampire section just as easily, but either way, there is a terrifying outbreak happening in Montreal,…