Horror and Sci-Fi Stuff
Major League Baseball is officially returning later this month (I am personally counting the days) so I thought this would be the perfect time to review Deadball, perhaps the finest Japanese baseball-horror film ever made. Released in 2011, Deadball is as much a comedy as a horror film. The "story" centres on Jubeh (Tak Sakaguchi),... Continue Reading →
(This article originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in June of 2015 on the site GeekPr0n.com. Gone but not forgotten.) Today marks what would have been Christopher Lee’s ninety-eighth birthday. It’s been almost five years since his passing and it is still hard to accept. Christopher Lee gave us numerous reasons to assume he... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Vincent Price went clubbing? Well wonder no more, just watch The Monster Club! This 1981 anthology film walks the line between horror and comedy and perhaps a little more on the comedy side than was initially intended. Vincent Price plays a vampire named Eramus who... Continue Reading →
Horror is a very broad genre. Horror by definition elicits fear and shock or, at the very least, attempts to elicit those emotions. Beyond that basic criterion, there is plenty of room for interpretation. Monsters, ghosts, and other supernatural elements are certainly ingrained in our idea of horror entertainment but they are not necessary components. ... Continue Reading →
Two of my favourite genres are horror and comedy and occasionally when those two unintentionally intersect it can result in an unexpected treat. Such is the case with Birdemic: Shock and Terror, the 2010 (very independent) film which contains neither shock nor terror but does induce many unintentional laughs. The film’s marketing promises a horrifying... Continue Reading →
Sequels are a tricky thing. Fans demand more of what they liked in the original film, however, there is an assumption that sequels lead to disappointment. Horror films, and in particular slasher films, have an added difficulty in that most of your cast, including the killer, will likely be dead by the end of the... Continue Reading →
In honour of Burns Night which celebrates Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, today we look at Scottish horror film The Wicker Tree. Unfortunately, unlike the Scot’s famous bard, this film is nothing to be proud of. The Wicker Tree’s story is loosely tied to the classic The Wicker Man which was also directed by Robin... Continue Reading →
On the surface, Horror films and Christmas might seem to make odd bedfellows, but the contrast of a murderous rampage set against what is supposed to be a joy filled time of year just seems to amplify the fear. Case in point, the original Black Christmas (1974), which stands as one of my all-time horror... Continue Reading →
(This article originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in March of 2013 on the site Cheese-Magnet.com. Cheese-Magnet is thicker than water.) I’m a little ashamed to say that prior to 2013, I had not seen Hellraiser. When it came out back in 1987, I was certainly aware of it. I can remember the hype about... Continue Reading →
The mid-eighties saw the appearance of the consumer camcorder and with it a whole new generation of amateur movie makers. Andrew, my Maniacs and Monsters co-host, and I spent many a weekend, late night, and summer break creating cinematic masterpieces with our friends. Most commonly, the artistic process involved the realization that we had a... Continue Reading →
When a film has a cast that includes Hollywood legends such as John Huston, Shelley Winters, Glenn Ford, and Sam Peckinpah you expect you are in for something great. Sadly, such is not the case with The Visitor (also known as Stridulum) which has more in common with a schlocky soap opera than the classic... Continue Reading →
My dear, dear friends. My brethren. I am here to denounce my transgressions before ye. I have sinned the sin of misdirection. For while the movie on which I am about to speak boasts a villain most heinous, and while it is true that numerous characters suffer both physical and psychological terrors, yet this work... Continue Reading →
(This article originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in October of 2013 on the site Cheese-Magnet.com. Cheese-Magnet is people!) I suspect most horror and science fiction enthusiasts are fans of the late writer Richard Matheson (1926 – 2013), although many may not realize it. As author and/or screenwriter, Matheson was responsible for many genre favourites... Continue Reading →
I have always been fascinated with the concept that faith and belief are the precursor to deities rather than, as is usually assumed, the other way around. The theory is that faith is what brings the gods into existence and what gives them power in a literal sense. Humanity looks to the gods for guidance... Continue Reading →
Directed by Ti West (known for The Innkeepers and, most recently, the Netflix series The Chambers), House of the Devil is a moody homage to 80s horror. Filmed in 2009 and set in the early 80s, the filmmaker did such a good job capturing the look and feel of a horror film you might have... Continue Reading →
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