Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone is one of those television titles that surpassed its small screen trappings to become something more, something bigger, iconic, finding its way into the very fabric of the cultural DNA. Even today, people make references to it, by humming the iconic opening theme by Marius Constant, (though Bernard Herrmann composed a…
Tag: horror
Galaxy of Terror (1981) – Bruce D. Clark
The next stop for me in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book is the works of James Cameron, and this is where he got some of his start (and where a behind the scenes worker, Bill Paxton, also did some work) as the film’s production designer. Cameron did some special effects work for this Roger Corman produced B-movie (something…
Toronto After Dark 2016: The Void – Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski
Isolationist horror with Lovecraftian overtones and readily apparent influences of both Clive Barker and John Carpenter; coupled with the school of less is more when showing the monster, combine in The Void. Toronto After Dark’s closing night film for 2016 at the Scotiabank Theatre. Let me get two things out of the way, as much…
Toronto After Dark 2016: The Lure -Agnieszka Smoczynska
The last night of the Toronto After Dark film festival got underway at Scotiabank Theatre with the Polish musical/drama/horror The Lure. Taking its cues from the original Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Little Mermaid, as well as playing with mermaid mythology this one toys with expectations, sexuality and strange lyrics in a kind of fevered…
Toronto After Dark 2016
It’s that time of year again, when horror, sci-fi, action, cult, and just the bizarre movies come to roost and entertain here in Toronto, with the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. 9 nights of movies that, as long as you have the right audience with you, can’t help but entertain. This year seems to be…
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) – The Man Trap and Charlie X
Captain’s Log: Stardate 1513.1 I was going to wait until I finished one of the other shows that I am watching for the blog before I dove into Star Trek, but the 50th Anniversary beginning in September, and the DK Canada book, The Star Trek Book on the The Book Shelf this week drove me…
Monsters in the Movies – 100 Years of Cinematic Nightmares (2011) – John Landis
How much do I love this book? Let me tell you! This gorgeous, coffee table book, available from DK Canada, penned and compiled by director John Landis (who directed my favourite werewolf movie of all time, An American Werewolf in London, though I was introduced to him through the Thriller video first) has created a…
The Passage (2010) – Justin Cronin
Epic, majestic, terrifying and engrossing. And heartfelt thanks to Amanda for pushing it in my direction! These words perfectly define The Passage by Justin Cronin. A massive novel, coming in at 879 pages in paperback, the tale it unfolds is massive, engaging, and is almost mythic in nature. With a vast cast of characters,…
Fan Expo Canada 2016 Preview
Thanks once again to Touchwood PR, The Mind Reels will be covering Fan Expo Canada as press! I am particularly grateful this year, as it’s the first time since 2005 that I haven’t been able to purchase a pass for the weekend, and was not sure if I would be able to attend at…
Stranger Things (2016) – Season 1
Picture a Stephen King novel directed by Steven Spielberg, with a score by John Carpenter, and a beautifully balanced touch of nostalgia and you have the wondrous, scary, funny, and exciting ride that is Netflix’s latest winner, Stranger Things. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the series is set in Indiana in the year,…
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