Renfield (2023) – Chris McKay

Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, and Awkwafina star in Chris McKay’s bloody, hilarious, and over-the-top love letter to the supporting character of the original Dracula story, Renfield, including some wonderful homages to the original 1931 film. It’s modern-day America and Renfield (Hoult) has relocated Dracula (Cage) yet again to hide him from those who would hunt…

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) – Agatha Christie

This week’s Agatha Christie isn’t quite the romp of the previous entry, but like all her tales, is wonderfully engaging and entertaining as she weaves a tale of murder, secret marriages, servants, doctors, drugs, wayward sons, and hidden secrets and truths. And in the middle of it all, Hercule Poirot. This one is a bit…

Mort (1987) – Terry Pratchett

This week, I dug into another Discworld novel for the Book Shelf. And I’ve said it before, but I’m glad I waited until now to read them, I wouldn’t have appreciated them, and their wonderful humour when they were originally released. And now, I also don’t have to wait a year or two for the…

Zombies on Broadway (1945) – Gordon Douglas

DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book by director John Landis, moves on to the realm of the mad scientist, leaving werewolves behind. And the first one I dove into was this genuinely funny film from 1945. It’s marred by moments of racism, but the rest of it proves to be very enjoyable. It what…

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004) – Stephen King

The penultimate volume of Stephen King’s magnificent fantasy western opus is on the book shelf this week, and leads us along many roads, some hauntingly familiar, all troubling. With the abduction of the pregnant Susannah by Mia, the daughter of none, mother of one, at the climax of the previous book, everything is set up…

The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960) – Renato Polselli

The next title I exhume from the grave for DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book by director John Landis is an Italian film that got chopped up by North American censors to remove any untoward imagery (like nudity) to make it suitable for what they saw as the viewing audience… the matinee crowd. A…

The Virgin Spring (1960) – Ingmar Bergman

Taking its inspiration from a centuries old ballad, as well as Kurosawa’s Rashomon and in turn inspiring Wes Craven’s revenge horror thriller, Last House on the Left, Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring comes up on the What Else to Watch list following my screening of The Seventh Seal. Dk Canada’s The Movie Book continues to…

The Devil’s Castle (1896) – Georges Melies

I dig into a new book this week, DK Canada’s The Movie Book. It will take us through a gamut of decades and titles, and there is so much to watch. There are titles I’ve seen, and those I haven’t – so it’s going to be a fun ride. Since I’ve seen the first film…