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: supernatural
End of Watch (2016) – Stephen King
The final novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy, End of Watch, adds a bit of the supernatural flavour that King is known for as Brady Hartsfield, the Mercedes Killer from Mr. Mercedes returns for a final confrontation with retired police detective Hodges, his partner Holly Gibney, and their friend Jerome. The thread of material woven…
The Sun Down Motel (2020) – Simone St. James
The Sun Down Motel is a fantastically creepy and thrilling novel from Simone St. James. The novel follows two storylines concurrently bouncing back and forth between the years 1982 and 2017, culminating in a white-knuckle climax that is satisfying, engaging, and sneaks quite comfortably into Stephen King territory. In November 1982 Vivian arrived in Fell,…
Disquiet (2023) – Michael Winnick
There are some fun and familiar ideas at work in Michael Winnick’s Disquiet which is getting a limited theatrical run, and VOD release tomorrow, but it just isn’t as strong as it could be. At just under an hour and a half I still felt the editing could have been tighter, and the characters could…
The Last Broadcast (1998) – Stefan Avalos, and Lance Weiler
The year before The Blair Witch Project came along and revitalized and re-created the found footage genre, The Last Broadcast told a similar tale of murder, mystery, and possibly the supernatural. And while I have some serious issues with the format change at the film’s climax, not to mention some of the less-than-stellar performances, I…
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) – John Lee Hancock
John Lee Hancock adapts the Stephen King short story to the screen and gives us a thoughtful rumination on technology, life, forgiveness, and letting go. Jaeden Martell returns to the King-verse this time as young Craig, a student, a young man who is dealing with the death of his mother, navigating the world of high…
Before I Wake (2016) – Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan’s next film, which he co-wrote with Jeff Howard, was Before I Wake. Leaving behind the real-world terrors he visited in Hush, he delves into more supernatural territory and family drama, a realm in which he truly excels. This time out, we are introduced to Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark Hobson (Thomas Jane) a…
The Monsters We Defy (2022) – Leslye Penelope
Orbit Books conjures a magical and engaging tale with Leslye Penelope’s The Monsters We Defy. While arguably a supernatural heist story, that descriptor merely scratches the surface of the tale as we are introduced to an array of characters, united by Clara Johnson in the vibrant setting of 1920s Washington, D.C. Clara was born with…
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) – Brian Gibson
A number of cast and crew (including composer Jerry Goldsmith and visual effects artist Richard Edlund) return for Poltergeist II: The Other Side and while Julian Beck seems truly terrifying as Kane, the film doesn’t have the Spielberg or Hooper magic that made the first film such a hit. The Freeling family, Diane (JoBeth Williams),…
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) – Chuck Russell
The third entry in the Elm Street franchise is a lot of people’s favorites after the first film, and it’s easy to see why, with story credits from Wes Craven and Frank Darabont this instalment features Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) on the cusp, he’s still scary, but he’s also starting to introduce some quips to…
The Mind Reels 