I wonder what it was like to read The Shining before Stanley Kubrick’s movie came out. Back when Wendy was still a fresh, flaxen-haired beauty (not Olive Oyl from Popeye) and Jack Torrance could be anyone other than JACK. King notoriously hates Kubrick’s movie with vociferous spite that lives on even after the director’s death. […]
Archives for October 2020
Review: Poltergeist (1982) – No More Clown Dolls
Scenes and dialogue from the original Poltergeist movie are so iconic, so embedded in the Gen X cultural zeitgeist, that I was tempted to “cheat” this week and skip rewatching the movie before writing my review. That would have been a mistake. Even though I saw the movie (in parts or the entire thing) at least […]
Review: Grave’s End – An Unembellished Truth
Despite owning a bookshelf filled with true ghost stories, this was my first encounter with Grave’s End by Elaine Mercado. It was a delightful surprise to read an honest, straightforward, clear-eyed account of living in a real haunted house. This book was a refreshing “palate cleanser” after the overcrowded, cloying mess from last week. The opening […]
Review: The Amityville Horror – Curse or Con?
The first order of business before anyone can discuss this book like adults is to address the elephant in the room. (Or, in this case, the giant pig in the room.) This book was originally published in September of 1977 as “A True Story.” In case you haven’t heard, it most definitely is NOT a […]
Review: The Others – Sublime Supernatural Suspense
Now children, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. “ The Others is one of those haunting movies people either love or hate. I’ve never met anyone who expressed a lukewarm opinion. I’m firmly in the LOVE camp. It’s one of my top 10 all-time favorite movies. I try to rewatch it every few years, usually […]