Where Horror Lives
Blumhouse Productions rules horror today. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Universal Studios reigned with their monster lineup. But from mid-1950’s to the early 1970’s, Hammer Film Productions dominated the horror genre. The British studio made international stars of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. While Hammer Films rolled out dozens of Gothic horror titles, it was […]
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Legendary director and producer Roger Corman’s career spans several decades. From 1954 to the early 1970’s, Corman directed over 50 movies. Today, he’s still producing feature length films. His low-budget approach aesthetics played a significant role in the growth of the indie movie scene in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Like William Castle, Roger Corman cut […]
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With all the news trickling in about the upcoming sequel to The Devil’s Rejects, 3 From Hell, it’s a good time to re-visit Rob Zombie’s filmography. Admittedly, I have been a huge fan of Zombie’s music from his days with White Zombie. Both Astro-Creep 2000 and Hellbilly Deluxe remain among some of my favourite albums. Given his […]
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Happy First Day of Spring! The sun is shining a little longer. Birds are singing again in the morning. And the ground is starting to thaw. Soon nature will be alive and all around us. Maybe that’s not such a good thing. We haven’t treated nature very well. Horror scholars have long pointed out that […]
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Spring Break is here! Thinking of getting away with friends for a week of drinks and debauchery? Well, you may have second thoughts after this edition of The Chopping Block. With college students invading sunny resorts, it’s time to take a look at some of the best ‘spring break’ or ‘destination’ horror films. Drunk, students […]
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The Underworld franchise shares a lot of parallels with The Resident Evil series. Both series are CGI-heavy action-horror hybrids headlined by strong female protagonists. Each franchise kicked off in the early 2000’s. Both series would eventually spawn late final entries. With five movies and just north of $250 million in total box office, Underworld, however,is […]
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‘Torture Porn’, J-horror, found-footage, and remakes. At the turn of the century, these were the major trends that would define horror for several years. Though remakes were nothing new in Hollywood, studios seemed particularly interested in ransacking 70’s and 80s horror catalogues. Sadly, most of these remakes were watered-down PG-13 knock-offs starring CW Network cast-off’s. […]
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Not everyone loves Valentine’s Day. If you’re single or recently had your heart broken, it’s a bit of an exclusive holiday. Romantic comedies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Or maybe you’re just worn out from all the Hallmark Christmas movies on Netflix. In this Chopping Block column, I have a list of five ‘alternative’ romantic […]
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Try as they may, Hollywood has struggled to turn video games into thriving film franchises. But you can’t blame them for trying. Modern video games often boast some impressively sprawling narratives. Yet in spite of all the cinematic failures, the Resident Evil franchise has somehow proven to be an exception. In fact, the Resident Evil […]
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Somewhere in between ‘masked slashers’ and ‘insidious conjurings’, torture porn briefly reigned in horror. From Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects to Eli Roth’s Hostel and the ‘New French Extremity‘ movement, horror fans flocked to movies characterized by extreme graphic violence. However, it all started with James Wan’s Saw in 2004. The low-budget movie kickstarted a […]
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