I’d be lying if I said this whole piece wasn’t almost entirely inspired by the recent confounding “backlash” over the incredible The Witch. I won’t get too into it – the articles can be found with a simple search – but the general (negative) consensus is that it just wasn’t scary. (There was also some chatter that The Witch – a historically accurate movie about witches, mind you – somehow wasn’t a horror movie, but those arguments are so mind-numblingly stupid that I won’t even acknowledge them.) The only conclusion I can come to is that, in both instances, people were complaining because The Witch was maybe too cerebral for them, too psychological. And if that’s the case, then it’s a sad state of affairs for horror fans. Continue reading RANT: Engaging Horror Deserves a Comeback (AKA Kill the Jump-Scare)
Monthly Archives: February 2016
“The Witch” (2016) REVIEW
I want you to close your eyes and imagine something. Well, close your eyes metaphorically speaking – keep reading this, though. Okay, clear your mind. Now imagine the Internet is down… forever. You have no phone – smart, flip, or otherwise. No texting, no Instagram, no Facebook. No cable, no reality shows. No pizza. No eBay. No public transportation. You start working at age 12 which includes waking up at 4 a.m. and doing manual labor until sundown; you’ll never get paid $40,000 a year to work from your cozy apartment (one block away from that hip coffeeshop) writing listicles for some cutesy start-up blog. Reaching your 50th birthday is rare, and worst of all: no one cares a goddamn about you. Survival comes before anything else. Sounds horrific, right? Welcome to 1630! (more)
“Southbound” (2016) REVIEW
There’s no denying it: horror anthologies are hot right now. The format has always been a popular go-to for the horror genre, but by the late-’90s it sort of fizzled out. Enter Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘R Treat in 2007 – a Halloween anthology, naturally – and boom, the sub-genre was revitalized. Since then there’s been Chillerama (utilizing horror’s goofiest gorehound directors), the V/H/S and The ABCs of Death franchises, and even a few T.V. shows like Darknet and Black Mirror. More recently there’s been Tales of Halloween, and soon the upcoming Holidays. There’s also been a slew of lesser watched stuff that I didn’t mention, but trust me when I say: anthology-style horror is hot. (more)
Horror Trope Retirement Home – Screaming Ghost Demon Things
Welcome to the Horror Trope Retirement Home, where overused horror cliches (hopefully) go to live out there rest of their days, far away from the public eye.
In 1998, Ringu – the awesome and influential Japanese cursed-VHS-ghost movie – was released. In the above picture, you can see what happens to anyone who watches the aforementioned tape. They die with an expression best described as “mid yawn” frozen on their faces. Honestly: look at that picture and tell me you don’t immediately hear Sloth bellowing, “hey you guys!” By today’s standards, it’s downright quaint if not borderline silly – but at the time it was terrifying. As far as I can tell, this is the first time this sort of specific visual pops up in horror movies. A few years later, in 2002, an American remake was released, and this is what the victims in that version looked like: (more)
HORROR NERD OF THE MONTH — Sheila!
The A Nightmare on Elm Street series is no stranger to nerdy characters (Will the Wizard Master, anyone?), but what with it being Black History Month and Women in Horror Month, Camera Viscera’s February HORROR NERD OF THE MONTH was a no brainer: Sheila, from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. And brother, what a geek! Continue reading HORROR NERD OF THE MONTH — Sheila!
Camera Viscera 