Tag: monsters

The Science-fication of Horror

In the days of olde, let's say the 1940's and back, horror movie monsters were the stuff of legends and myth. They were the vampires and werewolves of Eastern Europe. They were the mummies of Ancient Egypt. They were the primitive beasts from the Pleistocene Era. They were the ghosts and ghouls from Victorian castles. … Continue reading The Science-fication of Horror →

31 Days of Spoooktacular: Masks

Masks are scary. And not just masks of scary aliens or wolves or demons. I know for a fact that there are people who find the above mask creepy, even though there is nothing inherently creepy about it. There's no blood or fangs. There's nothing sinister about it. It represents no gender, race or deformity. … Continue reading 31 Days of Spoooktacular: Masks →

31 Days of Spoooktacular: The Haunting of Dylan Charles

I recently talked about the fact that I now live in a haunted apartment. I don't know who or what it's haunted by, I just know that, on occasion, it gets all creepy up in here. There have  been new sounds added into the mix. We both heard the sound of something thumping on the … Continue reading 31 Days of Spoooktacular: The Haunting of Dylan Charles →

31 Days of Spoooktacular: Even a Man Who Is Pure in Heart

For 31 Days of Spoooktacular, I wanted to do the occasional spotlight on the monsters that have formed the deep and gristly backbone of pop culture. Through a society's monsters, you can tell a lot about that society. What scares us, helps to define us. It is no coincidence that, in the wake of World … Continue reading 31 Days of Spoooktacular: Even a Man Who Is Pure in Heart →

31 Days of Spoooktacular: Portrait of a Slasher Movie

The slasher movie is, by far, one of the subgenres of horror that most sticks to a formula. And here is the formula: Pre-Credits Kill+Character Introduction+Cat Scare*+Minor Character Killed Off+Pointless Drama/Comedic Scene+Secondary Character Killed+Hero(ine) and Killer Meet-Up+Hero(ine) Triumphs+One Last Scare=Slasher Movie This is, for the most part, how every slasher movie plays out. You have … Continue reading 31 Days of Spoooktacular: Portrait of a Slasher Movie →

It’s on the Air

You can't sense it, but I can. I step outside and I can smell it, hovering on the fringes, hanging back from the senses; that lingering odor of decay in a basement that promises something hidden under the floor. You don't notice it. But it's coming. It's in the way the shadows are cast now; … Continue reading It’s on the Air →

Plans Macabre

So Halloween is rapidly approaching and how. I know you're probably not as excited as I am, since most people who get excited about Halloween are under ten and thinking about candy. As someone who indulges in horror year-round (writing it, reading it, watching it), it's always nice when October comes slouching 'round and everyone … Continue reading Plans Macabre →