Nightmare House was a pleasant surprise. Pleasurable, one might even say charming, because it’s an old-fashioned gothic ghost story filled with many elements I know and love—family secrets, hidden rooms, eerie apparitions, and hints of occult influence—all delivered in a smooth, accessible narrative. Surprising because this is the first novel in The Haunted reading list […]
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Review: Ghost Story – A Tale of Two Readings
The movie version of Ghost Story (1981) made a pleasantly chilling impact on my psyche when I was a pre-teen. I’m not sure of the exact year, but I discovered the movie via HBO on a heat-soaked summer evening during a sleepover with my best friend. We were looking for a scary movie, but not […]
Review: Paranormal Activity – Smart, Simple, Scary Filmmaking
What is there to say about the original 2007 Paranormal Activity movie that hasn’t already been said? Let’s start here. I love this movie. It scared the bejesus out of me in 2007 and it still gives me the creeps today. But let’s be very clear. This is not a ghost story or a haunted house […]
Review: Hell House? Hell No
This feels like blasphemy. First, because I love Richard Matheson’s other work. Bid Time Return (and his screen adaptation, Somewhere In Time) will always hold a cherished place in my heart while What Dreams May Come is beloved in my household. Matheson’s Twilight Zone episodes are among my favorites, especially Night Call. After watching Will […]
Review: The Haunting of Hill House – A Fresh Look at an Old Friend
This is the haunted house story I thought I knew. Four strangers converge on a notorious and isolated estate in order to witness, investigate, and analyze purported supernatural phenomena. The house itself, built at odd angles and witness to generations of tragedy, is a brooding and enigmatic fifth character. Strange occurrences happen. Things go bump […]
Readings In Genre: The Haunting
After much soul-searching (otherwise known as orgies of obsessive self-doubt), I’ve made the decision to pursue an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. My first residency was in June 2020. (It was virtual, thanks to the current pandemic). Now it’s time to dig into my first course syllabus in over […]