Author: dinosaurinafez

Reviews, You Should Watch This

‘Smile:’ A Heart Attack With a Friendly Face

So, in full transparency, today’s post was supposed to be about Deadstream, a new found footage horror-comedy that premiered this on Shudder this week. It’s a fun, if somewhat cliché takedown of Youtuber/Twitch-streamer culture, filtered through the lends of a first-person Evil Dead film, featuring some fantastic practical effects and some clever uses of streaming technology like chat feeds and facecams. But coincidentally, on a … Continue reading ‘Smile:’ A Heart Attack With a Friendly Face

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Rankings and Lists, You Should Watch This

Monsters and Mayhem: Horror Creature-Features

While I have love for every subgenre of horror, I have to admit that there’s one in particular that holds a special place in my heart: The monster movie. Or, if you prefer, the creature-feature. Sure, we all know and love the big names, like Godzilla and King Kong. Those of you with particularly refined taste may also be fans of loving derivatives like Cloverfield. … Continue reading Monsters and Mayhem: Horror Creature-Features

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Editorials

Horror Life Support: How to Revive ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise is… not in a great place right now. Despite the original film, released in 1974, being one of the most influential and revered slashers of all time, not a single installment out of the eight films that followed it would even remotely live up to its legendary reputation. From bizarre, self-parody sequels to bloody, over-the-top remakes, filmmaker after filmmaker has … Continue reading Horror Life Support: How to Revive ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’

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Rankings and Lists

Music Video Macabre

Although we sometimes have a tendency to think of horror as being a relatively niche genre of interest, the truth is that, from a cultural standpoint, its an absolute juggernaut. Horror iconography is everywhere. The genre’s most famous films, characters, and tropes have been referenced, parodied, and alluded to in and on nearly every single possible piece of merchandise and media imaginable. And while TV … Continue reading Music Video Macabre

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Reviews, You Should Watch This

‘One Cut of the Dead’ and the Magic of Genuine Surprise

Sometimes, I come across a movie that’s so unique and so weird that I find myself at sort of a loss for words. Not because the film is indescribably amazing or anything like that, but because the very act of trying to give a synopsis spoils it. These are the kinds of movies that are best gone into completely blind, and having it reveal itself … Continue reading ‘One Cut of the Dead’ and the Magic of Genuine Surprise

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Reviews, You Should Watch This

‘Wolf Creek:’ Sadism in the Outback

Aliens, werewolves, ghosts, and demons. All of these monstrous staples of the horror genre have been endless sources of terror onscreen for generations of movie-goers. Everyone has their weaknesses, that one thing that scares them more than anything else. Maybe it’s bugs, with movies like The Fly and Arachnophobia making you positively squirm in your seat. Maybe you’re deeply Catholic, and anything involving a possession … Continue reading ‘Wolf Creek:’ Sadism in the Outback

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Rankings and Lists, You Should Watch This

Short Film Showcase Sunday: Bite-Sized Terror

Sometimes, less is more. This is why, often, we find ourselves laughing way harder at a dumb Vine or Tiktok than we ever do with a feature-length comedy film, no matter how good it may be. Without all the narrative, three-act trappings and structural padding of an hour-long story, a talented filmmaker can distill whatever emotions they want to convey down to their purest, most … Continue reading Short Film Showcase Sunday: Bite-Sized Terror

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Uncategorized

The Best in New and Returning Releases this Halloween

Happy First Day of October, everyone! Got something relatively short and simple for you today, but super important nonetheless (we’ll get to the overly long, self-indulgent ranting stuff you come here for tomorrow, I swear). I thought it would be a good idea – a public service, really – to give you a list of all the big releases coming out this month. There’s plenty … Continue reading The Best in New and Returning Releases this Halloween

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Uncategorized

An October Mission Statement, Part II: Electric Boogaloo

Hello, dear readers. Last year, in a moment of misplaced clarity about what this site had become, I made a personal vow to dedicate the entire month of October to non-stop horror content. Every single day, 31 days in a row, new, fresh material for you to consume, perfect for the Halloween season. Rankings, new reviews, and recommendation lists, day after day, all month long. … Continue reading An October Mission Statement, Part II: Electric Boogaloo

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Reviews

Ti West Crafts the Perfect Prequel With ‘Pearl’

Earlier this year, director Ti West and A24 gifted us with the wonderfully subversive X, a stylish, thoughtful send-up of 70s slasher and grindhouse sensibilities. It was a clever, brutal film, dripping with subtext and artistry, yet still managed to deliver on the requisite kills and thrills in a way that even the most disinterested of horror audiences could appreciate without feeling bogged down by … Continue reading Ti West Crafts the Perfect Prequel With ‘Pearl’

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