wadewainio

Wade is a wannabe artist and musician (operating under the moniker Grandpa Helicopter), and an occasional radio DJ for WMTU 91.9 FM Houghton. He is an occasional writer for Undead Walking, and also makes up various blogs of his own. He even has a few books in the works. Then again, doesn't everyone?

The Mad Monster (1942) – Retro Review

Who is The Mad Monster? Is it the slow-witted gardener injected with wolfman serum by a mad scientist? Or is it the mad scientist himself? I’d do with the latter option. After all, the gardener (Glenn Strange) as a human is essentially harmless, and as a wolfman, he is like …

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First Short Horror Film: The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895)

Often credited with inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison also produced the world’s first short horror film, The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. This very short work — which is only about 17 seconds — was directed by Alfred Clark and depicts exactly what you’d expect. “Mary” (Robert Thomae, secretary …

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Black Magic Woman: Review of ‘The Black Magic’ (2002)

Marc-Ivan O’Gorman’s film The Black Magic (2002) serves up a curse from a vengeful Asian spirit upon three obnoxious, stereotypical, frat boy characters.  You can probably guess the plot already, but I’ll spill a few details anyway. As mentioned, there are three pretty boy fraternity types on a trip to Bangkok, Thailand. …

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Angry Ghosts and Permissive Parents: ‘Haunt’ (2013)

Mac Carter’s Haunt (2013) offers viewers a haunted house tale, very angry ghosts, and teenage romance. But is it memorable? For me, the character’s names didn’t even sink in. Maybe I’m just bad with names, but it could also be symptomatic of a movie that didn’t keep me absolutely, 100% …

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13 Classic Halloween Images Found In Horror Movies

Halloween has long been associated with horror and general spookiness. So it’s no wonder that many Halloween themes have made it into the horror movies that we still watch today. For each Halloween-related image category below, I will recommend a horror movie where such imagery appears. The image may not …

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A Dinner Date With Hannibal Lecter: Could You Survive?

One of the most iconic horror villains, Hannibal Lecter, has undoubtedly left his mark on pop culture forever. He has also left his teeth marks on several victims, both in novels, film, and even a short-lived TV series. What is it about this brilliant, cultured cannibal that sticks with us, …

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The Clown and The VHS Tape: All Hallows’ Eve Review

All Hallows’ Eve reminds us to think twice before digging through our Halloween bags, and that you can’t keep a bad clown down, even if you try. Released in 2013, Damien Leone’s All Hallows’ Eve has much of what one expects from modern horror. There are abundant attempts to shock, but not many …

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Ghostly Homages: “A Haunting in Salem” – Review

Theoretically speaking, there are limitless ways to tell a horror story. Still, in A Haunting In Salem, director Shane Van Dyke utilizes many of the ways horror fans are already familiar with. He probably thought most other ways would be rejected, which is understandable. Though the movie ostensibly involves a sad …

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Bird Watching: 5 Iconic Images From Hitchcock’s “The Birds”

At my other, lesser known blog, I’ve discussed my favorite things about Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, such as how it’s a love story yet brutal (they’ll peck your eyes out, kid!). It’s also amazing how the movie plays so well with such a minimalist soundtrack. Also, the birds can represent countless …

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