Vague Visages Writers’ Room: Favorite Halloween Movies
In the Vague Visages Writers’ Room on Facebook, freelancers were asked to comment about their favorite Halloween flicks.
The Haunted House Heartbeat in Dario Argento’s ‘Inferno’
“The real strength of ‘Inferno’ is the dominant sense of terror that Argento creates through his mastery of physical space (shaded by bright reds and blues, contrastive images of grandeur and decay in the production design)…”
CIFF After Dark Review: Patrick Brice’s ‘Creep 2’
“Horror fans may need to adjust their expectations if they’re looking for more frights than laughs.”
CIFF After Dark Review: Giddens Ko’s ‘Mon Mon Mon Monsters’
“‘Mon Mon Mon Monsters’ actually inspires and entertains while pointedly dealing with a subject that hits close to home for many.”
Devious Dialogues: Mike Thorn and Anya Stanley on the ‘Child’s Play’ Franchise
Mike Thorn and A.M. (Anya) Novak look back at the series entries and provide their thoughts on the newest addition.
Low-Budget and Lurid: Inside the Macabre Cinematic Universe of Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle
“To watch Roger Corman’s Poe movies is to visit a mythic dreamscape where the boundaries between life and death are permeable.”
Review: Darren Aronofsky’s ‘mother!’
“If ‘mother!’ lacks the refinement of a manifesto for a new breed of movie theater flick, it makes up for it in the audacity to be unique.”
Ten Years Later, Adam Green’s Cult Slasher ‘Hatchet’ Still Cuts
“It’s rare to find a movie that pays homage to the good ol’ days while also paving its own way, but ‘Hatchet’ is that.”
Andy Muschietti’s ‘It’ Struggles with Adaptation
“As an adaptation of a great 20th century novel, ‘It’ completely misses the mark.”
Devious Dialogues: Mike Thorn and A.M. Stanley on ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Franchise
Mike and Anya submitted this draft on August 25, 2017 — one day before Tobe Hooper passed away at age 74.
The Power of Suggestion in Ben Young’s ‘Hounds Of Love’
“‘Hounds of Love’ makes an intriguing case for suggestion in place of an all-out, sensationalized show.”
Fantasia Film Festival 2017 Review: Federica Di Giacomo’s ‘Libera Nos’
“It’s an unconventional perspective, making ‘Libera Nos’ a riveting new lens on a familiar topic.”
‘It Comes at Night’ and the Trouble with Horror Movies That Don’t Fit Into a Genre-Specific Box
“The genius of ‘It Comes at Night’ is that its monsters are, for the most part, human.”
Devious Dialogues: Mike Thorn and Anya Stanley on Stephen King’s ‘It’
“It’s a good year to be a Constant Reader.”
Devious Dialogues: Anya Stanley and Mike Thorn on Fox’s ‘The Exorcist’
A.M. Novak and Mike Thorn Discuss FOX’s ‘The Exorcist’!
‘Twin Peaks’ and Beyond the Alphabet
“The failure of language permeates ‘Twin Peaks,’
an abundance of verbiage disintegrating under the looming and ageless presence in the woods.”
Review: ‘Like Jagged Teeth’ – Betty Rocksteady’s Supernatural Bad Dream Novella
“By constantly re-emphasizing Jacalyn’s inability to confront the undeniable horror of the unfolding scenario, Rocksteady achieves a powerfully oneiric tone throughout.”
Devious Dialogues: Anya Stanley and Mike Thorn on the ‘Alien’ Franchise
Devious Dialogues: A Horror-Themed Column by A.M. Novak and Mike Thorn
Book Review: Gender and Genre in Aaron J. French’s ‘Festival’
“On the levels of craft and form, this is undoubtedly the work of a skilled writer.”
Devious Dialogues: Mike Thorn and Anya Stanley on ‘The Exorcist’ Franchise
Devious Dialogues: A Horror-Themed Column by Mike Thorn and A.M. Novak