[Mother of Fears] Mothering in Silence in A Quiet Place (2018)
A Quiet Place (2018) opens 89 days after a race of extremely sound-sensitive creatures show up on Earth, perhaps from an exterritorial source. If you make any noise, even the slightest sound, you’re likely to be pounced upon by these extremely strong and staggeringly fast creatures and suffer a brutal death.
[Editorial] What to Watch at This Year's Cine-Excess International Film Festival 2023
Kicking off on Tuesday 17th October, the 2023 edition considers the cinematic, social and cultural significance of the possessed, supernatural and unclean body onscreen.
[Editorial] Cherish Your Life: Comfort in the SAW Franchise Throughout and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
I was aware of the COVID-19 pandemic before I knew that’s what it would be called, and before it ever affected me personally. My husband is always on top of world events, and in late 2019, he explained what was happening around the globe.
[Editorial] The Art of Horror in Metal
Metal and horror have many aspects in common. The passionate fanbase for both genres attend festivals and has created strong communities. Horror and Metal fans often sport clothing depicting their favourite bands or films, almost like a uniform.
[Mother of Fears] Mother Vs. Monster in Silent Hill (2006)
Mother is God in the eyes of a child, and it seems God has abandoned the town of Silent Hill. Silent Hill is not a place you want to visit.
[Editorial] Virginity is a Killer as Cherry Falls (2000) Celebrates 23rd Anniversary
On August 25, 2000, the UK was treated to a gem of a slasher film, Cherry Falls (2000), being released in cinemas. While censorship issues meant the film was released two months later as a TV movie in the United States, Cherry Falls has still earned its place as a cult classic in the slasher world.
[Editorial] Deadly Duets: The Power of Dance in Horror Cinema
From the jaw dropping moment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986, Tobe Hooper) when Stretch and Leatherface dance it out, to that edge-of-your-seat final boogie between Noa and Steve in Fresh (2022, Mimi Cave), I want to argue that these sequences change the course of both films, directing each narrative inexorably towards their end.
[Mother of Fears] I Don’t Wanna Be Buried in a Pet Sematary (1989) and (2019)
Both the original Pet Sematary (1989) and its 2019 remake are stories about the way death and grief can affect people in different ways. And while the films centre on Louis Creed and his increasingly terrible decision-making process, there’s no doubt that the story wouldn’t pack the same punch or make the same sense without his wife, Rachel.
[Editorial] Examining Addiction in Midnight Mass (2021)
Both Riley’s addiction and his Catholic upbringing define his arc in the miniseries, manifesting in a dangerous combination as he’s turned into a vampire against his will because of the island’s mysterious new priest, Father Paul (Hamish Linklater).
[Editorial] The Shocking Brilliance of Frankenhooker (1990)
Modern horror cinema has used the Frankenstein theme in various iterations, but none so unique as exploitation director Frank Henenlotter’s Frankenhooker (1990).
[Mother of Fears] How I Love to Love Nadine in The Stand (2020)
The story focuses on a group of survivors after most of the world’s population is wiped out by Captain Trips, a lethal super-flu. And while there are enough horrors to go around in a story like this, the real focus of King’s book is how those who survive react to the changing world around them.
[Editorial] Blood, Guts and Mommy Issues in The Witch (2015)
The Witch (2015), written and directed by Robert Eggers, is a horror movie about the most terrifying phenomenon to befall a young woman: mommy issues. While the movie is beloved for a variety of reasons, such as for its haunting visuals, eerie soundtrack, and feminist overtones, it is seldom recognized for its fascinating portrayal of mother-daughter conflict.
[Editorial] Dead Ringers (2023) and Bodily Autonomy
What any good remake or reboot should do is present the original concept in a way that captures the central idea while integrating new ideas and adapting it to the current audience as well as newcomers to the source material. It should not just be with one talking point such as, casting a trending TikToker.
[Mother of Fears] A Certain Hunger in Onibaba (1964)
Set during the mid-fifteenth century, Onibaba (1964) tells the story of two women fighting for survival. Credited only as Older Woman and Younger Woman (or Kichi's Mother and Kichi's Wife) according to IMDB, the story is focussed on the lengths these women will go to survive a war, and yet they’re not even given names, unlike the male characters.
[Editorial] 90s Horror Attitude, Music and Friendship
The 1990s is a divisive decade for horror fans. Some say it is the worst decade for horror films, whereas others included) see it as a very influential and distinctive time for the genre, particularly teenage slashers.
[Editorial] The Terrible Place: Visiting and Revisiting Hollywood in Horror
In recent years since the inception of the #MeToo movement, we have seen a turn towards discussing the abuses rife in the Hollywood system and the wider media landscape.
[Mother of Fears] Be Very Afraid of Motherhood in The Fly (1986)
For journalist Veronica Quaife her life changes direction one night in a massive way while attending a Bartok Science Industries party. She’s there to cover the event for Particle magazine, and has a few interviews scheduled with scientists who all think they’ve discovered something which will change the world.
[Editorial] The Disrupt Symbology of Lamb (2021)
A24’s folkloric horror productions have been one of the most drawing narrative and cinematic styles within the past decade.
[Editorial] Eden Lake (2008): How a Film’s Potential is Destroyed by Bias
I often ponder if the reason we as fans of this much maligned genre watch so many films that fall within the scope of this genre is due to us being protective of it, or because we are searching for the hit which we felt on our very first time watching a film that got under our skin?
[Editorial] Dead By Dawn: A Retrospect on the Original Evil Dead Trilogy
With the recent release of Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, The Evil Dead franchise has encountered a resurgence from its bloody grave…