An interesting sub-theme of horror and crime movies is “rebellious kids.” These are films that capitalize on the idea that kids—particularly young boys—are not charming moppets but sadistic death machines. (I’m reminded of a great…

I’ve read several of Claire’s books (“Unmasked” is a favorite) and always appreciate her solid, no-frills writing. Her stories usually bring to mind the best of 80s schlocko horror cinema: a bit of sleaze, a…

A common fantasy of teenagers is the death of their parents. It’s a kind of traumatic split they seem to yearn for. And it’s frequently mentioned in fiction – think of Harry Potter, or the…

This was a short story I discovered in one of the free book promotions I often take part in. It’s one of the best-written tales I’ve found via such a method. As a result, I…

When I watched “The Stepfather” recently, it was my third viewing of the film. As a teenager, I saw it when it came out, 1987, at the Kuhio theater in Honolulu, the same theater where…

I’ve read several of Wieland’s books, which tend to operate in the space in between drama and horror. In the Blackest Hour does as well, until into it falls into full on horror. The plot…

So, funny thing about this movie. I really wanted to watch the 1982 version of “Unhinged” but couldn’t track it down anywhere. This one popped up in the Amazon queue and I figured why not.…

This was a strange one. I wasn’t quite sure to expect when I dialed up “Nurse” on Amazon Prime. The preview made it look like a riff on the obsessive character motif seen in films…

In high school, I had a friend named Mark. I described him in the introduction to an interview I did years ago with the musical performer, the Great Kat. ___One of my more noteworthy friends…

At first, I wasn’t even going to review “Striking Distance”. I just found it to be ridiculous and retrograde. It then occurred to me, “If this was a Chuck Norris movie, I would love it.”…

“The Banker” might be best thought of as “Rambo” meets “Wall Street.” I’ll try to explain. In this gritty cop thriller from 1989, we learn at the beginning who the villain is. A ultra-rich banker,…

I read John Everson’s “Siren” a few years back and enjoyed it. When I discovered he has a few novels out in the style of classic Italian giallo (pulpy horror slasher) films I was intrigued.…

I was first drawn to “Eyes of a Stranger,” a slasher made in 1981, because there’s a song from the heavy metal band Queensrÿche of the same name (unrelated to the film). It worked out—it’s…

I had some trepidation about watching “Graduation Day.” I had it in my head that it was a super-cheeseball horror film with terrible acting and unconvincing gore. That it announced it was a Troma Entertainment…

In my twenties, I discovered the work of comic creator Dan Clowes and became a big fan. He specialized in quirky, esoteric slice of life stories that often exposed the hidden ironies of existence and…