Though I consider myself a fan of horror that has a fair balance of artistic merit and visceral scares, I am not above a first-class, old fashioned gore fest. My eyes have taken in the squishy crimson goodness of Re-Animator, Romero's Dawn of the Dead (initially Rated X over its violent gore), The Thing, Hellraiser, Cannibal Holocaust and every gleefully sadistic Herschel … [Read more...]
Medieval Europe faced deadly horrors such as the 100 Year War, hardship, and famine. In the wake of the terrifying Black Plague of 1347-1349 AD, a fascination with the macabre took over popular iconography. Skeletons, graves, bones, and grinning skulls appeared in art, with the “Danse Macabre” joining the popular culture. Translated from French to “morbid dance,” many identify … [Read more...]
Tibetan monks rejoice at finding the next Dali Lama in a village in India. A six-year-old Scottish boy talks endlessly about his old family, house, and dog in a town 300 kilometres away from where he lives. His desperate parents track down the house right where he said it was. A six-year-old American boy dreams repeatedly of a fiery airplane crash and points out on a map … [Read more...]
Jane Austen had a dark passion. She read Gothic romance novels. In fact, she read some obscure Gothic literature, even works written in German. These atmospheric tales of the supernatural provided a springboard for her satirical “Northanger Abbey” published in 1818. This novel sees Isabella Thorpe recommending a list of gothic classics to her friend Catherine Morland. The … [Read more...]
Being a rabid Godzilla fan, even the embarrassingly bad G movies do not have an effect on my love for the King of Monsters. Having a seven-year-old son who is now discovering Japan's biggest (heh-heh) export rekindles many fond memories of quivering suitmation and bad dubbing. Explaining the appeal of a Godzilla film (especially the crude films of the 60s/70s) is similar to … [Read more...]
