The Blood Elevator: It’s Meaning & Symbol
The blood elevator scene, sometimes called the ‘river of blood’, from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a horrifying and disturbing image in a film full of horrifying and disturbing images. Upon watching it the scene
Even the Moon is Frightened of Me: The Invisible Man (Monster Memories)
An invisible man must be one of the more bizarre choices for a monster. First of all it’s not really a monster, not in the classical sense anyway. He is, after all, just a
Even a Man Who is Pure in Heart: The Wolf-Man (Monster Memories)
By 1941 Universal had been making monster movies for over a decade. It had now become a well-oiled machine and while not quite formulaic just yet was well on its way to becoming so.
Cover Story: The Chronicles of Amber
We’ve all heard the saying: don’t judge a book by its cover. This is of course meant to be taken metaphorically. It is meant to reinforce the notion that one should not form an
All of This is New to You, And New Can Be Scary (The Return of Doctor Who)
The new season (series) of Doctor Who started yesterday and I feel I am required to say something about it. Typically this is not something I do, at least in the terms of a “hot
I Dislike Being Touched: The Mummy (Monster Memories)
The Mummy from 1932 is a classic. A flawed classic for sure, but a classic nonetheless. There are parts of this film that are truly brilliant and there are parts that are…well…not. To be honest
I Mistrust My Own Judgement: Dracula (Monster Memories)
Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation of Dracula is the granddaddy of them all, the film the launched the Classic Monster films of Universal. The Universal cinematic universe if you will. I try not to judge
Fruit Flavored Terror: Monster Memories
As a kid I loved monsters. Not the ones that hid under the bed or lived in the closet obviously - those were terrifying and nightmare inducing if one actually managed to get to
Creature Double Feature: My Saturday Monster Time
Growing up my Saturday afternoons would be spent with creatures, monsters, ghosts, ghouls, murderers and mad scientists. Beginning around one o'clock I would settle down in front of our 17" Sony Trinatron (complete with simulated wood
All Hallows’ Eve Month is Here! A Month of Classic Horror
October has arrived - the most wonderful time of the year. There is a nip in the air, the leaves are changing and the smell of pumpkin pie surrounds us. It’s time to wear flannel
It Is What It Is: King Kong Escapes: Kong Hits V
King Kong Escapes is one of - if not the - strangest entries in the King Kong cannon. (As an aside saying ‘King Kong cannon’ out loud is a fun thing to do. Go ahead,
Saying Goodbye in Paradise (Or Waiting for the Hurricane)
I’m not sure if this is going to work. Or if it will make any sense let alone be entertaining to read. I guess you can call this an experiment. I am going to write
Oh Japan! Part 1: Cartoons (70s Nostalgia)
In the 1970s cartoons from Japan were a relatively rare thing. It may hard to believe in this era of streaming services, internet access and a multitude of channels that anime options were few
Can You Dig It? (or why on earth am I nostalgic for the 1970s?)
The 1970s was a time of unparalleled growth and prosperity that brought forth a cultural and artistic renaissance that still influences our society to this day. Everything I just said is verifiably untrue, a blatant
This Harmonious Order of Things: Boethius: The Big Ideas (Excursus I)
Whenever I am feeling down, or confused, or overwhelmed by the particular situation I find myself in I turn to philosophy. And yes, I do recognize how pretentious that statement sounds - but regardless it
David Hicks: WHITE PLAINS Book Tour: Part 2
David Hicks published his first novel, White Plains, last year and then proceeded to launch a whirlwind tour of the USA to promote it. This he did on his own with very little support from
That Time I Didn’t Notice When Night Became Day
A long time ago, way back in college, I had an apartment two blocks off Height Street in San Francisco. It was a nondescript thing just a box on the third floor where the “rooms”
Swim Until You Cant See Land (Saying Goodbye to Scott Hutchison)
It was late December 2007 and I was driving home from work listening to the radio. There is an indie station that plays Christmas music by alternative bands with alternative takes on the holiday
My Friend Michael is a Teacher
My dear friend Michael Daly retired from teaching today. A rather large amount of people gathered in a ballroom to celebrate his career and the man. He mingled the crowd as we sipped our cocktails
Dr. Who Meets Bond: The King Kong Show: Kong Hits IV
So this entry in the Kong project is the one I am (or was) least familiar with; that is I don’t remember seeing this as a child. But it feels familiar somehow, like I should
A Nothing Day: Comic Books, Video Games & Graveyards
I wheeled the bike from the garage and took a deep breath. It was the start of the lull week that happened every summer. The week when every kid I knew was off at camp