Joe Hill first came to my attention as the writer for the superior comic series Locke & Key, which is alternately fantastical, innocent, joyous and horrifying. As such I think I was properly ready for more of his work, and found a fascinating short story collection to use to expand on our relationship. 20th Century…
Tag: unnerving
The Running Man (1982) – Stephen King as Richard Bachman
Despite being a fan of the 87 Schwarzenegger flick, I’d never read the original source material, so being long past due, I dug into it and was delighted to find that the novel was a completely different experience, and worthy of a cinematic adaptation in its own right. Ben Richards lives in the slums, a…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – Flatline, and In the Forest of the Night
The Doctor (Capaldi) is trapped in an ever shrinking TARDIS, and it’s up to Clara (Jenna Coleman) to investigate an unnerving mystery in Flatline. Written by Jamie Mathieson this episode first aired on 18 October, 2014. Something very unnerving is going on, and people are disappearing, or perhaps just our perception of them. there’s a…
A Wrinkle in Time (2018) – Ava DuVernay
Disney’s adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s classic young adult novel is a mixed bag at best. The story’ ideas aren’t realised on the screen very well, but there is some nice talk about quantum physics, physics, and science as spiritualism throughout the film that I really enjoyed. Director DuVernay, best known for her documentary work, in…
Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) – Robot of Sherwood, and Listen
The Doctor (Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) embark on a bit of a lark with Robot of Sherwood. Written by Mark Gatiss this episode first aired on 6 September, 2014. Clara has always wanted to meet Robin Hood, which the Doctor insists was made up. To prove the point he takes her to Sherwood Forest…
At The Mountains of Madness (1931) – H.P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft’s unnerving novella, At the Mountains of Madness was my next read, and I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. It’s dark, frightening, and immensely enjoyable. An Antarctic expedition finds something they don’t expect, and from there the tale descends into horror and madness. I feel that the story influenced the short story of…
Annihilation (2014) – Jeff VanderMeer
Full disclosure: I had never heard of this book until I saw the trailer for this movie from the writer and director of Ex Machina, the visuals looked amazing, and the ambiguity and mystery conveyed by the short teaser drove me out to find a copy of the Southern Reach trilogy right away. Annihilation is…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – The Gift, The Dummy, and Young Man’s Fancy
Buckle up, there’s the sign post up ahead! It’s time to return to The Twilight Zone, courtesy of Paramount Pictures The Complete Series on blu-ray. First up is The Gift. Written by series creator Rod Serling, this episode debuted on 27 April, 1962. Williams (Geoffrey Horne) is an alien. He just crashed south of the…
Doctor Who (David Tennant) – Forest of the Dead, and Midnight
Picking up where last week’s episode left us, Forest of the Dead is a stunning conclusion to the story, especially if you’re revisiting the series and you know who River Song (Alex Kingston) really is. Written by Steven Moffat this episode debuted on 7 June, 2008. The Vashta Nerada, shadow beings, are still stalking the…
The Twilight Zone (1962) – Little Girl Lost, Person or Persons Unknown, and The Little People
Buckle up, folks. It’s time for another trio of episodes from Paramount Pictures superlative The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series blu-ray collection. Up first is Little Girl Lost. Richard Matheon wrote this eerie tale that first debuted on 16 Match, 1962. Chris Miller (Robert Sampson) hears his daughter call out in the night, and goes…
The Mind Reels 