// Category Archive for: Halloween

Bloody Sheets, Bad Sweaters, and Broken Hearts: The Wisdom Of Crocodiles

By Jemiah Jefferson

Jude Law, tasty son-of-a-bitch.

Originally this was going to be a gushing review of a very beautiful, very sexy vampire film that I remember loving the hell out of, but hadn’t seen in a very long time—ten years or so. Within 30 minutes of rewatching, though, this became much more of an exercise in “the golden glow of memory masking the flaws of fact.” Filmmaking, vampire movies, and I were all in somewhat different eras in 1999; we’ve all come a long way, and The Wisdom Of Crocodiles hasn’t really kept up. Unjustly obscure, the film also suffers from having been titled Immortality for its US release, and the shitty production values used when slapping its American title on the screen makes it look like it’s just a very expensive episode of the new Outer Limits.
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The Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets: An Interview With Toren Atkinson

Interviewed by Megashaun

I first heard of The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets at last year’s Penny Arcade Expo. The band was there and had a booth set up because they were playing at one of the concerts during the convention. Around this time, their song, “Shhh…” was introduced as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band. Although initially drawn to them by the visual aesthetic of their album designs and the scruffy yet handsome appearance of the band’s members, I was pleased to find out upon listening to their album Cthulhu Strikes Back that the band has a great deal of musical talent and that their music has a lot more going for it than catchy hooks and bellowing vocals.

When I later listened to The Shadow Out of Tim, I was even more impressed. The album’s dark undertones are a perfect complement to its catchy, even poppy, foundation. It’s also just a little bit scary, but more importantly it kicks a lot of ass.

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets are known for their energetic live shows. While I’ve sadly never had the opportunity to see them play live, I can tell just from looking at photos that the shows must be a great deal of fun. That, and Toren Atkinson, lead singer of the band, tells a good story about the origins of their live shtick.

Photo from thickets.net
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Buzz Aldrin, Magnificent Desolation

By Emily Carney

We’re all BFFs! REALLY!

As a kid I was absolutely obsessed with the Apollo missions from the late 1960s and early 1970s. As an adult, I still am.
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Five Faves: Sherlock Holmes In TV And Film

By Lisa Anderson

There is a new Sherlock Holmes movie coming out in December, and I for one am a little nervous.

Now, I’m no Holmes expert, even though I read some of the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle when I was younger. And I was actually excited about the project at first, because of the involvement of Robert Downey, Jr. and in spite of widespread skepticism over the director, Guy Ritchie. It was the trailer that really concerned me.
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We Came, We Saw, We Want It To Go Away

By Pearce Holland

Another Halloween approacheth, and with it, for some inexplicable reason, another Saw movie is poised for release. Many people think the Saw movies are terrible. Others see them as torture porn. I love horror movies and agonized over what to focus on for this particular season of fright, and with the downswing of torture porn’s popularity as a horror subgenre, I think the Saw movies (I through V) are a pretty appropriate choice.
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Moon: Does Sam Bell Dream Of Electric Sheep?

By Christian Lipski

SPOILER ALERT: I saw the movie, and am going to refer to specific things that happen in it. If you are looking for an article that will let you know if you should go see this film, here it is:

Yes. Go see it.

The rest of this article will be about my impressions of the movie and its major topics.
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Thirteen Thrilling Tales: More Halloween Movies

By Less Lee Moore

Last year I recommended ten films to watch in “Ten Instruments Of Evil.” In this issue of Popshifter, I’ve upped the ante to a baker’s diabolical dozen.
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The Accidental Terrorist: Scary Songs Which Aren’t Meant To Be Scary

Idea by Matt Keeley
With contributions by. . .

In our last Halloween issue, we discussed morbid melodies and the music of the scares. But what of songs which horrify us accidentally? Some argue that songwriters who pair dark lyrics and bright melodies know exactly what they’re doing, but what about words and music which cause fright when they were only intended to delight?

For example, a few of our readers noted that “Mama” by Genesis was a bit squicky, but it’s unclear whether that creepiness was intentional or not. However, I think we can all assume that “Beep Beep” by The Playmates was probably not meant to panic small children, although it obviously has, judging on some of the replies we received.

Here are some examples of the various tunes that terrify. . .
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I Was A Teenage Vampire Lover

By Noreen Sobczyk

Nope, it’s not coming to a drive-in near you. Nor is it a juicy tell-all about my steamy copulations with the undead. And truth be told, this one sided love affair lasted well beyond my teens. Yes, it’s true: I’m a vamp-a-holic.

Some people go through a phase where they idolize a rock star. Some become interested in a genre of art and learn its history. Me, I had it bad for the bloodsuckers. It started when I saw a BBC mini series called Count Dracula as a kid, which had me transfixed. I read a few Anne Rice novels, and some Poppy Z. Brite.

Yet when I saw a film called The Hunger my addiction to vampires on television and in film really began. Then my dalliance became a full on obsession (to often hilarious, velvet-clad results). This one-sided romance extended to my music, make-up, and choice of room decor. My paychecks went to purchasing shelves of vampire memorabilia and novels and viewing vampire films.

Like many addicts, I occasionally relapse. So I’ll share a few memories of fondly-remembered vampire loves past, and dish dirt on some of the stinkers.

Angel, 1999 – 2004

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The Staff Of Popshifter‘s Halloween Issue 2008