// Category Archive for: Horror

Retro Review: Dario Argento’s Deep Red

By Tim Murr

In honor of Italian horror master Dario Argento’s 75th birthday this week, I wanted to take a look back at one my favorites of his films, Deep Red a.k.a. Profondo Rosso from 1975.

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The Wishful Cinema of Wes Craven: 1939 – 2015

By Jeffery X Martin

The year is 2000, and the 72^nd annual Academy Awards are in full swing. It’s a heavy year for the Best Actress category, with Hilary Swank, Annette Bening, Janet McTeer, and Julianne Moore all in contention for the golden stature. Meryl Streep is nominated too, for a little movie called Music of the Heart. It’s one of those roles Streep has made a career of, playing strong Caucasian women who overcome the odds and make a huge difference in the lives of others, usually not Caucasians. Streep being at the Oscars isn’t a surprise. The thing different about this picture is the director of Music of the Heart, who is not nominated for an award.

His name is Wes Craven.

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Blu-Ray Review: Inner Demons

By Jeffery X Martin

You’ve seen it before and there’s no sense in denying it. Some things just shouldn’t be paired up. Maybe there’s a couple whose relationship dynamic seems odd and impenetrable. Perhaps someone likes to do strange things with their food. I, for example, put peanut butter on hot dogs. My wife is displeased with this choice.

These examples of poor matching can be applied to the horror film, Inner Demons, a found-footage film which shouldn’t be a found-footage film.

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Goodnight Mommy Trailer Is A Genuine Creepfest

By Jeffery X Martin

Major American studios have proven they have no desire to make decent horror movies anymore. It’s all superheroes around here, buddy, and if you haven’t jumped on that bandwagon, then it’s Pixels for you.

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The Official Popshifter Podcast, Episode #01: Styx and Stones

Welcome to The Official Popshifter Podcast, Episode #01, “Styx and Stones May Break My Bones, But Save Hannibal”

Featuring Managing Editor Less Lee Moore and Featured Contributor Jeffery X Martin! Enjoy and thanks for listening.

Reviews:

Ted Nugent, Free-For-All (Expanded Edition)

Goblin Rebirth, Goblin Rebirth

Pit Stop Blu-Ray

Veruca Salt at Lee’s Palace, Toronto ON

Links:

Satanic Panic: Pop Cultural Paranoia In the 1980s

The Black Room Manuscripts (all proceeds go to Blue Cross UK)

Book Review: Monster Mash: The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze in America 1957-1972

By Tim Murr

TwoMorrows Publishing is awesome. These dedicated fans began publishing magazines about comics in the mid-’90s, such as the authoritative series Jack Kirby Collector as well as Comic Book Artist and Alter Ego. They have also published books and DVDs, further preserving the far reaches of comics’ history.

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Kickstarter Campaign: Give Horror Film Ayla All the Money

By Jeffery X Martin

Kickstarter has become the great bazaar for creators, all of them camped out under their virtual canopies, hands open, hoping visitors will stop and just look at their wares. Yet like any bazaar, the buyer should beware. It can be a strange and dangerous marketplace, and one doesn’t want to toss their money about blithely. If you can find an amazing concept, with some great people behind the scenes, odds are you’ve made a fine Kickstarter decision.

Please allow me to make a strong suggestion.

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Blu-Ray Review: Long Weekend

By Jeffery X Martin

If we Americans have learned anything over the last 20 years, it’s that Australia is hell on earth. Spiders bigger than your face, jellyfish that can kill you from ten miles away, sharks, Yahoo Serious. . . it’s the kind of place we should really nuke from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

At its dark little heart, the 1978 Australian film Long Weekend is about hell, and the different ways that concept can manifest itself into reality.

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Blu-Ray Review: Spring

By Less Lee Moore

I detest romantic comedies. They are often decidedly unromantic and terribly unfunny. Throw drama into the mix and it’s even worse: concocted conflicts and clichéd characters. Horror comedies are a more palatable but often hit or miss. Combining all four genres seems like a bad idea. Somehow Spring manages to do that and still be terrific. It’s the best romantic comedy/drama horror movie you’ve seen yet.

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iZombie Is Another Entertaining Win For The CW

By Tim Murr

Throughout its first season, The CW’s iZombie has managed to be more entertaining than the last three seasons of The Walking Dead, which devolved from a must-see gory character drama to boring misery porn that suffers from hideous pacing. (And yes, I haven’t missed an episode and yes, some episodes were very good.)

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