Indie horror movie The Ranger generated some low-key positive buzz in 2018. A fun retro-trailer that harkened to old school PSA’s undoubtedly helped. Critics also seemed mildly impressed with The Ranger when it debuted at SXSW. Of course, ‘lost in the woods’ horror movies are a familiar genre staple. But The Ranger promises a refreshing […]
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Out of the blue, Netflix suddenly seems vaguely interested in horror again. From the outset of July, the streaming giant has released the the two Fear Street movies with the third due this Friday. And viewership numbers seem to support this creative direction. Grace: The Possession, Oxygen, the Black Summer series, and Army of the […]
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As 1970s’ exploitation and splatter horror gave way to the slasher era of the 1980s, horror movies occasionally straddled styles. The result was some tonally oddball movie like Nightmare Beach, Pieces, Humanoids from the Deep, Sleepaway Camp, and Madman. While these movies had recognizable slasher DNA, their atmosphere and aesthetics felt like spiritual descendants of […]
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Some things will never go out of style. In spite of it roller-coaster popularity, slasher movies are a permanent fixture in horror. Occasionally, they slip out of the mainstream, kept alive by the straight-to-video (and now the VOD) industry. But just like the killers that populate their movies, it’s hard to keep the slasher movie […]
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As we roll into October, what better way to kick off the Halloween season then with one of the genre’s classics. Believe it or not, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre premiered 46 years ago on October 1st, 1974. With all the sequels and remakes, it’s hard to believe that several countries outright banned Tobe Hooper’s original […]
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Few things are better-suited for one another than horror, heavy metal, and Satan. Much has already been written about the Satanic moral panic that emerged in the 1980’s. Heavy metal bands that infused their music and public image with Satanic themes – Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motley Crüe – drew the ire of moral entrepreneurs […]
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Happy Canada Day! To celebrate the nation’s birthday, we’re re-visiting The Great White North’s contribution to the ‘Golden Era’ of slasher horror. Most horror fans know the original My Bloody Valentine was a Canadian export. Shortly after My Bloody Valentine scared horror fans, another Canadian slasher made its way to theaters – Happy Birthday To […]
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By the mid-2000’s, audiences were wise to horror rules and conventions. Wes Craven’s Scream pulled the curtain on tired tropes and re-invigorated the genre. But Hollywood was slow to change and the slasher-lite renaissance that followed recycled the same narratives without Craven’s self-awareness. And remakes and ‘Torture Porn’ characterized horror for most of the aughts. […]
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