The summer of ’84 was one of the defining summers of my life. It saw a lot of changes in my life, and was also the first time that I read The Lord of the Rings. I was swept up in the world, and was delighted that I’d read all three books so quickly, and…
Tag: scary
TAD 2023: Lovely, Dark and Deep dir. Teresa Sutherland
Writer/director Teresa Sutherland delivers a moody, atmospheric hallucination that follows Park Ranger Lennon (Georgina Campbell) as she takes on her new backcountry assignment, and attempts to reconcile an event that has haunted her since childhood. Positing that there are too many missing people in national parks, Sutherland’s story wonders if there is perhaps something more…
World War Z (2013) – Marc Forster
I was reticent to watch World War Z when it was first released. Not because it was Brad Pitt, but because I knew there was no way to faithfully adapt and honor Max Brooks novel on which the film is based. So now, ten years later, I was finally ready for it. And while it…
Evil Dead Rise (2023) – Lee Cronin
Lee Cronin wrote and directed Evil Dead Rise a nice new spin on the classic horror franchise that promises the ultimate in grueling horror. As much as I love the originals, and Bruce Campbell, I love that the new films have eschewed some of the comedic elements and really leaned into the brutal gore and…
How to Sell a Haunted House (2023) Grady Hendrix
I have greatly enjoyed Grady Hendrix’s books so far, there are still a couple more for me to track down, and I’m willing to say How to Sell a Haunted House is one of his best. Combining a story of loss with a puppet that seems to be the equal of the clown doll in…
The Black Phone (2021) – Scott Derrickson
Director Scott Derrickson reteams with his Sinister star Ethan Hawke in Derrickson’s adaptation of the Joe Hill story, The Black Phone and Hawke is nothing short of terrifying as a child killer known, in the late 70s era Colorado the story is set in, as The Grabber. The Grabber is stalking a town that lives…
Cloverfield (2008) – 15th Anniversary 4K
I remember seeing Cloverfield opening weekend in the theatre. I was very excited to dig into a monster movie that saw a kaiju trampling New York City, and I loved that it was being told from the viewpoints of a group of survivors who recorded everything with their videocamera. Unfortunately, I forgot my previous experience…
Barbarian (2022) – Zach Cregger
Wow. Writer/director Zach Cregger blew me away with this one, completely subverting my expectations while playing with the traditional horror rules in this fantastic thriller of a film. From his framing to camera movement to casting to the way he doles out the story, Cregger plays with an increasingly film-savvy and educated horror audience and…
The Eyes of the Dragon (1984) – Stephen King
1984 was the year I discovered Stephen King through ‘Salem’s Lot, my first King novel. But I remember my mother was a big King fan (still is) and we had arranged to get her The Eyes of the Dragon as her birthday or Xmas present. It wasn’t your usual King story, and I think that…
Fringe (2008) – The Same Old Story, and The Ghost Network
The second episode of Fringe first aired on 16 September, 2008. Written by J.J. Abrams, Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman this episode continued pushing the ideas of body horror first seen in the pilot episode. This time an unfortunate woman sleeps with the wrong man and within moments becomes pregnant, and within minutes delivers a…
The Mind Reels 