Retrospectives
How Halloween 4 Saved the Franchise
When John Carpenter’s Halloween was released, it was the most successful independent film of all time. It held that record for many years. The success didn’t happen right away, though. I...
Why The Toolbox Murders Might be the Sleaziest Art Film Ever
The original Toolbox Murders is a hard movie to pin down. It’s hard even to explain how I feel about it. At this point, I would say most people have discovered the Tobe Hooper remake. The origi...
One Man’s Trash: The Sleazy Majesty of Street Trash
We all know the old saying. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It bears repeating because Street Trash is certainly not a treasure for everyone. In some ways it d...
Trouble on the Way: Why Bad Moon Doesn’t Get Enough Credit After 20 Years
On one level, Bad Moon frustrates the hell out of me. As a young horror fan, I loved werewolves. Along with vampires, they were pretty much my favorite movie monsters. But unlike vampires, I was very ...
Why Warlock Doesn’t Get the Attention it Deserves
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there are some really underrated horror directors out there, and then there’s Steve Miner. If he is not the most underrated in terms of ...
How New York Ripper Stretched the Limits of Giallo
The New York Ripper is without a doubt one of Italian maestro Lucio Fulci’s most brutal, controversial films. It has the same structure and setup as a gialli, but is very different from what we...
How Dario Argento’s Opera Explores the Dark Side of Showbusiness
Opera is Dario Argento’s modern update on The Phantom of the Opera. More than that though, it is representative of the film industry and the nature of show business as a whole. It can even be s...
How The Burning Beat Friday the 13th At its Own Game
After the success of Halloween, Sean Cunningham—in attempt to recreate that success—directed Friday the 13th. From there, the slasher craze of the early 1980’s was born. Movies li...
Script to Screen – How Gremlins Became the Ultimate Family Horror Movie
Gremlins is widely regarded as one of the most beloved horror-tinged family films of all time. It’s a fun, exciting adventure movie as well as a holiday classic. Of course, it has its suspensef...