“Diabolic” Flips the Standard Possession Formula On its Head
We’ve all seen our fair share of possession movies. Most reach for the perfection of William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece The Exorcist and center a helpless girl whose body becomes host to a demonic entity. Family members desperately convince skeptical priests to combat the demon leading to a dangerous ritual...
Luc Besson’s “Dracula” Is a Weird Remix of an Age-Old Story
The 1992 masterpiece Bram Stoker’s Dracula is not only a gorgeous and haunting love story, it contains one of the most romantic lines in the history of horror. After locating his reincarnated bride, Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) confesses, “I have crossed oceans of time to find you.” Luc Besson’s...
“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” Battles a Sinister AI
Anyone in their right mind is at least a little bit nervous about Artificial Intelligence. What seemed like a distant threat with the 1991 premiere of Terminator 2:Judgment Day suddenly feels frighteningly real with the introduction of Chat GPT and increasing use of self-driving cars. Rather than solve complex...
“Return to Silent Hill” is a Vague yet Beautiful Story of Monstrous Love
It’s hard to resist singing along with the Backstreet Boys’ #1 hit “I Want It That Way.” Regardless of your feelings about pop music in general, when that tender guitar intro starts playing, we stop what we’re doing, turn to the person next to us, and tunefully insist that,...
“Silent Night, Deadly Night” is a Slight yet Satisfying Stocking Stuffer of Holiday Gore
I’m a simple girl. As Christmas nears, all I want is a cute boy dressed in a Santa suit axing through the naughty. That’s why I love the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. Charles E. Sellier Jr. ‘s 1984 film follows a little boy named Billy (Jonathan Best, Danny...
“Wicked: For Good” is a Fitting Close to a Powerful Journey of Feminist Empowerment
Was there ever a possibility that I would not enjoy Wicked: For Good? Probably not. I’ve been obsessed with the musical soundtrack since its release in the aughts and finally got a chance to see the stage production a few years after that. Elphaba Throp entered my life at...
“Him” is a Brutal Evisceration of Gridiron Gods and Monsters
Football is inherently horrific. This collision sport involves two teams of heavily padded men who try to move an oblong ball 100 yards by any means necessary. Just seconds after the snap of each play, enormous players smash into one another, intent on forcing their way down the field....
“The Long Walk” Adds Hope to Richard Bachman’s Nihilistic Tale
Richard Bachman is known to be a bit of a nihilist. The pseudonym of Stephen King, Bachman’s novels are typically devoid of supernatural elements and the bittersweet redemption often found in stories from the Master of Horror. Usually set in a bleak reality where men are pitted against one...
“Traumatika” is a Messy, Yet Bone-Chilling Exploration of Emotional Pain
Over the years, horror fans have seen their fair share of trauma metaphors. From its earliest days, the genre has existed as a way to confront our darkest fears, but Jennifer Kent’s 2014 film The Babadook arguably kicked off a modern phase of stories exploring the darkness of the...
“Jurassic World: Rebirth” Finds Dino Smash Fun In Thin Characterization
When the original Jurassic Park debuted in 1993, the world was stunned by incredibly realistic depictions of historically accurate dinosaurs. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg’s impressive film is the perfect blend of adventure and science traversed by a well-rounded cast of complex yet relatable characters....