Summer’s End: Back to School Horror Films

September 3, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

Fall may not officially begin until Monday, September 23rd, but for horror fans and parents, summer is over. Today, schools re-open their doors for the start of a new year. The days of parents listening to their kids complain about being bored ends. However, most kids are probably less excited for a new school year. […]

Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things: An Eccentric 70’s Zombie B-Movie

July 27, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Director Bob Clark had a pretty varied film-making career. His filmography spans everything from B-horror movies to more serious, dramatic fare (Tribute). Arguably, horror fans know Clark best for the classic Black Christmas. But he’s also the director responsible for the beloved Christmas classic, A Christmas Story. In addition, Clark popularized the teen sex comedy […]

Night of the Creeps: The Perfect Love Letter to 50’s B-Movies

April 28, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Do you love vintage 1950’s monster B-films? Maybe you loved Them, The Blob, or The Thing From Another World. If not, you know who loves these movies? Director Fred Dekker, the man who gave us The Monster Squad. His 1986 monster movie, Night of the Creeps, is a ‘love letter’ to the era of drive-in […]

Black Summer – Season Finale Fails To Re-Animate Netflix Series

April 26, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

We’ve finally reached the end of Netflix’s short-order zombie series, Black Summer. Penultimate episode, Tunnel, clocks in at a mere 20 minutes or so. As such, I’ve opted to review these final two episodes together. Both episodes exemplify all the series’ recurrent problems that have bothered me. Neither episode does much to convince me that […]

Black Summer – Heist Still Feels as Purposeless as its Zombies

April 25, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

Black Summer’s sixth episode, Heist, takes a similar approach as fourth chapter, Alone. That is, Heist is dialogue-light entry that focuses on suspense and constant momentum. On the hand, it’s an episode that never slows down and features its best zombie moment. Unfortunately, the episode also continues Black Summer’s narrative mess. Black Summer Gets the […]

Black Summer – Diner Feels Like Walking Dead Leftovers

April 23, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Like most Netflix series, Black Summer has a short first season order. Though Netflix’s zombies series has shined briefly for moments, it’s definitely suffering from an overarching sense of aimlessness. And there’s only eight episodes! As we dive into Episode 5, Diner, can Black Summer set some stakes and distinguishing itself from the zombie horde? […]

Black Summer – Alone Quietly Stands Out

April 22, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

As Black Summer hits the season’s halfway point, Alone delivers what may be the best episode to date. If you were wondering what happened to Lance following Summer School, Alone picks up following his separation. It’s a largely dialogue-free episode focused solely on one character. Lance Goes Shopping … Alone At the start of Alone, […]

Black Summer – Summer School Gets a Passing Grade

April 17, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Black Summer’s ongoing narrative continues in Episode 3, which is entitled Summer School. As its title implies, Summer School finds the mysterious Spears along with Rose, Ryan, and Lance, seeking shelter in what appears to be an abandoned school. Of course, this is a dystopian zombie series so you probably assume the school isn’t all […]

Black Summer – Drive An Adrenaline-Fueled Episode

April 13, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Black Summer’s second episode, Drive, largely narrows its focus to one set of its characters. Just as its title implies, Drive constrains most of its action to desperate car ride through suburban streets. It’s a briskly paced episode with minimal zombie action but plenty of tension. Black Summer Does Some Sunday Driving At the end […]

Black Summer – Human Flow Does Enough To Hook Zombie Fans

April 12, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Another year, another zombie television drama. Today, Netflix released its latest original television series, Black Summer. Like Fear the Walking Dead is a prequel to The Walking Dead, Black Summer serves as a companion prequel to The Asylum’s Z Nation series. Even just a few years ago, a Netflix zombie series would have seemed like […]