Terror in the Aisles. That was the film which pushed my obsession with Texas Chainsaw Massacre into a full-blown case of fanaticism. Released in 1984, Terror in the Aisles was a horror documentary of sorts. Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen took audiences on a tour of the best parts of horror movies, all while talking …
When asked about my favorite films, one always comes to mind. I feel it changed American cinema, and it definitely influenced my horror writing. That film is none other than the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (using the more common spelling of the title). It is a movie I can watch multiple times and find something …
It’s true. Vampires suck. Vampire stories bore me to tears usually. They offer very little in the way of what I would consider real fright. They have their place in horror history, of course, but for me the best stories with vampires in them are only good because of everything else going on around them. …
Every once in a while I run into that person. I’m sure you have, too. You know the one I’m talking about. The one who says they don’t like horror … but then at some point they tell you about this great film they saw called The Silence of the Lambs or Seven. Little do …
As a novel, Cujo works. There is some clutter to it, sure, but overall it keeps the tension ratcheted very high and has a satisfying end. For a story that is essentially about a woman and a child trapped in a car it sure packs a punch. Even the film did a fine job, getting …
Burial Ground (1981) could not get more Italian if it tried. I recently revisited the film by watching Severin’s remastered Blu-ray of the classic, and it is exactly how I remember, though it looks far better than it did on the VHS tape I originally watched it on decades ago. If you have not seen …
Before reading this column, I suggest you read part one and part two of it. It will help give the following some perspective. I have theorized that the violence against women found in many horror movies is meant to garner sympathy for the female character. So why is it that it is a male character …
In the last column I started to delve into the often sticky issue of violence against women in horror. If you did not read that, I suggest you do so first. As a horror writer, I can honestly say I am a slave to the story. I do not ever question violence against any character …
As a writer who not only writes horror, but also writes about it, I get asked a lot of questions about the nuances of horror. I am often asked why characters in horror movies do stupid things such as going into the basement, why there has to be so many sequels, and the often polarizing …
As a child, one of my favorite horror franchises was the three films that revolved around a young boy named Damien. From a toddler to a statesman, the Omen franchise captured my, and much of America’s, imagination. How could such a delightful child be such a monster? It’s a fear any parent experiences at least …
