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
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
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
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
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
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
Pumkpkinhead is one of my absolute favorite Halloween-season movies. There’s just something about the bleak, spooky atmosphere and the classic, almost fairy-tale story that makes it a perfect movie for a chilly October night. But if you broke it down into its composite parts, there’s really not much on the surface that seems all that special about it. From a narrative perspective, it’s a fairly … Continue reading ‘Pumpkinhead’ and How Design Can Elevate a Horror Film from Good to Great
In our previous discussion of the 1983 cult-classic Sleepaway Camp, we talked about how slasher films can fall into a trap of being overly self-important and stagnantly serious. Slashers are inherently goofy, even when played straight, and to pretend otherwise often leads to disaster. Of course, you can have serious slasher flicks, but even the most noteworthy among them like Halloween and Black Christmas still … Continue reading Leslie Vernon: The King of the Meta-Slasher
Closing out our franchise countdowns is sort of the black sheep of the pop-culture horror icons. Friday the 13th and Halloween both stick to fairly standard slasher tropes, with a stray exception here and there, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, while having a slightly more surreal and fantastical premise, still mostly feels stuck squarely in the same camp. You see one movie in these … Continue reading Legends of Horror, Ranked: Child’s Play
Ouija is a godawful movie. And this is coming from a guy that likes most of the Leprechaun films. Trying to cash in on the Ouija board IP that Hasbro currently holds trademark over isn’t an inherently and idea. In fact, the Ouija board as a piece of horror iconography is so ingrained in the spirit of the supernatural that, frankly, it’s a no-brainer. And … Continue reading How ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil’ Taught Me to Never Count a Franchise Out Too Soon
The Blogger Under the Stairs 