After 40 years, I think it is safe to say that “Halloween” is more popular than ever. How can you explain a horror movie making nearly 80 million on opening weekend in October? The reason is almost completely due to the original. The 1978 “Halloween” is one of those movies that even people who haven’t … More Halloween Retrospective
In this era of movie making, certain franchises have a longer shelf life than others. We’ve seen many franchises come and go over the years. Through the wreckage of many forgettable horror series, one stands alone as the lone survivor of the 80s slasher genre – Child’s Play. While Jason and Freddy have had long … More Child’s Play Retrospective (Universal Pictures)
George A. Romero passed away last month at the age of 77, following a brief battle with lung cancer. It is difficult to overstate how much an impact he made on the horror genre. His effects are still felt to this day, perhaps now more than ever. The current horror landscape would not exist without … More In Memory of George A. Romero
In my experience, the twin pillars of horror cinema of the 1980s were Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In the ranks of all the 80s horror franchises, Friday the 13th was my favorite, but even as a child, I knew it was low-rent. In comparison, the Nightmare on Elm Street series … More A Nightmare on Elm Street Retrospective (New Line Cinema)
As the dog days of summer transition into the cooler, colorful season of autumn, Halloween comes ever closer. Once we get into September at my house, it is pretty much time to start celebrating Halloween, and for me that begins with horror movies. Now I watch horror movies at any time of the year, but … More Horror Anthology Films
When I was growing up, Friday was my most anticipated day of the week. Once school was over on that day, it meant 3 days of freedom. One of the things that became a ritual during those Fridays was a visit to the local video store. The world has changed so much since the video … More Remembering the Video Store
It is no secret that Paramount Pictures was never thrilled to be the home of “Friday the 13th” They were an upscale major studio that released Oscar contenders and blockbusters. Being the home of a low class slasher franchise was not a point of pride for them. But the profits were enough to keep the … More Friday the 13th Retrospective, Part 3: The New Line Era (New Line Cinema)
It turns out money could kill off Jason, but it could also bring him back. The Final Chapter ended up being a huge success for Paramount, so it didn’t take them long to render its title false. What follows is an era of Friday the 13th that straddles the line between the “classic” era the … More Friday the 13th Retrospective, Part 2: The “Undead Jason” Era (Paramount Pictures)
I can trace my fondness for horror movies to the Friday the 13th series. Sure, they aren’t really the most accomplished of movie series, featuring terrible acting , terrible writing, and rote pilots that you can map out who is going to die and when. But there is a certain “charm” to these movies. It … More Friday the 13th Retrospective, Part 1: The “Classic” Era (Paramount Pictures)
Wes Craven passed away Sunday after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 76. This is a tremendous loss for the horror community. He is one of the most popular horror directors of all time, along with his contemporary John Carpenter. They both came up in the 1970s, and made horror films throughout … More In Memory of Wes Craven
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