Editorials

My Top 10 Most Shocking Non-Horror Movies

Even though I write for a horror magazine, I love all movies, especially when directors inject tension into comedies, violence into dramas, and insert dreamlike scenes that dissolve into terror. But “shocking” doesn’t just mean violence. It can mean anything that disturbs the audience. That clarified – let’s get to …

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Tod Browning’s ‘FREAKS’ and the Stormy Skies of Mob Justice

Freaks

“Freaks” is an abnormal-yet-lovable 1932 American pre-code dramatic horror film directed by Tod Browning, based on Spurs, a 1923 story by Tod Robbins. The film tells the story of a group of circus performers, often referred to as “freaks,” and explores themes of acceptance, solidarity, and the consequences of cruelty. Much …

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A Real ‘Christine’? The Curse of James Dean’s ‘Little Bastard’

James Dean

Here we are during the most superstitious time of year, looking back on the rough year behind us, and making a long list of plans and wishes for the new one just a few days away. John Carpenter’s awesome film adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine (1983) turned 40 this month. …

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I Watched Ten Terrible Ouija Films So You Don’t Have To!

Of the many tropes in horror films, I have one that I will never, ever break: never use a Ouija Board. And while plenty of people have seen Ouija and Ouija 2: Origin of Evil, there exists an entire second string of films about summoning spirits – and I watched …

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Peeping Behind the Shower Curtain: The Role of Voyeurism in ‘PSYCHO’ (1960)

Psycho

Psycho is a classic psychological thriller and horror film that has become iconic in the history of cinema and has forever etched itself into horror and pop culture. Regarding the success of the film, Hitchcock said, “Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.” However, in …

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Damien Leone’s ‘ALL HALLOWS’ EVE’ (2013) – 10 Years Later

After the unexpected, lucrative success of Terrifier 2, (read our review here) and the promise of Terrifier 3, it is important to recognize the significance of 2013’s All Hallows’ Eve, and its introduction of Art the Clown. Much like Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on series, Art’s creative father, Damien Leone, nurtured this …

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‘LAKE MUNGO’ (2008) 15 Years Later, and America’s True Crime Obsession

Lake Mungo

We may be moving past the peak of sensational documentaries put out on Netflix and other streaming services. Regardless, 2008’s Lake Mungo serves as a fitting precursor to the true crime wave that gripped the late 2010s. Written and directed by Joel Anderson, a man just as enigmatic as the …

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Why ‘HELEN’S DEAD’ Breathes Life Into Mystery Movies – Review

Helen’s Dead isn’t a typical horror film. Directed by K. Asher Levin with a screenplay by Amy Brown Carver, it’s more of a horror whodunit, a modern-day Clue. Packed with ‘cringe’ moments that satirize today’s social media culture, this film offers a fresh and nuanced peek into the modern zeitgeist …

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‘The Collingswood Story’ – The Long-Distance Breakup Tale Involving a Satanic Cult

There is a sense of dread and inevitability from the first frame of The Collingswood Story. This little-known Screenlife thriller from 2002 is perhaps the first of the sub-genre. Primarily taking place on a pre-Skype video chat platform based on a landline, the instability and unreliability of the platform perfectly …

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