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 …
Growing up in the Seventies, I felt like my love of horror was being catered to by the culture at large. There were movies, television shows, books, and toys that all had something to do with horror. And being a comic book fan on top of that meant I could read plenty of comics that …
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 …
When I mentioned to my girlfriend that I needed to think of something to write about for this week’s column, she immediately suggested Child’s Play because it was timely. My reaction to her suggestion was lukewarm. I had not seen the remake yet, so what could I say? I started to tell her my feelings …
As a kid I loved watching the reruns of The Banana Splits. It was a goofy show filled with nonsense and “hilarious” sound effects, but for some reason I was into it. I even collected (and still do) the comic books. When I heard a movie was coming out, I was baffled. It did not …
If you want to throw someone into a nightmare, and they don’t love horror (or only like the Saw series), show them a film from Dario Argento. Anyone who is a fan has a favorite. Many like Suspiria (1977). Great film, but not my favorite. The one that I think works best is one a …
