Category: Nostalgia

Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, Supernatural/Paranormal Horror

“The Stand” 30 Years Later – Adapting an “Unadaptable” Book

Known for writing some of the longest novels ever written, there is one book of Stephen King’s that stands apart from the rest (no pun intended).  His 1978 novel “The Stand” remains his longest (if you go by the extended version, otherwise it’s second to “It”), and King always referred to it as his “Lord of the Rings”. Thus, it was inevitable that an adaptation … Continue reading “The Stand” 30 Years Later – Adapting an “Unadaptable” Book

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Action Horror, Monster Horror, Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, vampires

“Van Helsing” 20 Years Later – Was It Too Campy For Its Own Good?

Following the massive success that was The Mummy (which spawned an entire franchise) director Stephen Sommers teamed up with Universal again to do a quasi remake crossover of several more of their classic monsters of the 1930s/1940s.  The result was 2004’s Van Helsing.  A movie that featured Count Dracula, several wolf men, Frankenstein’s monster, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, and of course the titular monster hunter Van … Continue reading “Van Helsing” 20 Years Later – Was It Too Campy For Its Own Good?

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, Supernatural/Paranormal Horror

Why “Pet Sematary” Is Still One of the Best Stephen King Adaptations – 35 Years Later

Not only is Stephen King known by many as the “Master of Horror’, but he’s also the most financially successful American author in history.  His books (and their film adaptations) are legendary to both horror fans and general audiences.  And given that he most frequently writes in the horror genre, it’s always interesting to know what actually scares someone like him. If you ask King … Continue reading Why “Pet Sematary” Is Still One of the Best Stephen King Adaptations – 35 Years Later

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, Slashers

“Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” 40 Years Later – Still the Best of the Franchise

It’s almost a punchline at this point for horror movies to title a sequel with “The Final Chapter”, just to put another sequel out, sometimes the literal next year.  And that trend very much began in 1984 with the release of Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter.  And honestly, maybe it would have been better if it had truly been the final chapter. … Continue reading “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” 40 Years Later – Still the Best of the Franchise

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, Thrillers

“Dead Calm” 35 Years Later – A Tense Survival Thriller That Does a Lot with Only a Little

The sea can be incredibly calming and relaxing to watch from the beach.  However, if you’re stranded out in the middle of the sea with a psychopath and no hopes of rescue, that is a very different story. And that’s very much the cast with the 1989 survival horror/thriller Dead Calm.  With a minimal cast, a minimal setting, and even minimal dialogue at times, Dead … Continue reading “Dead Calm” 35 Years Later – A Tense Survival Thriller That Does a Lot with Only a Little

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Action Horror, Comic Book, Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial

Why Guillermo Del Toro’s “Hellboy” Still Holds Up 20 Years Later

Just as Fox’s X-Men movies and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies were kicking off what would become the comic book movie boom that would dominate the next two decades, another lesser known comic book from Dark Horse got the cinematic treatment way back in 2004. Based on Mike Mignola’s character Hellboy, the movie adaptation of the same name brought life to the wise-cracking, sometimes immature demonic … Continue reading Why Guillermo Del Toro’s “Hellboy” Still Holds Up 20 Years Later

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, Sci-Fi Horror

“Phantasm” 45 Years Later – A Surreal and Hypnotic Sci-Fi/Horror Gem

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the 1970s were the best decade for horror movies.  Not only did it give birth to several major franchises (Jaws, Alien, The Exorcist, The Omen to name a few), but it also introduced the world to the slasher subgenre, which is still going strong today.  It was a decade filled with director-driven projects that were filled … Continue reading “Phantasm” 45 Years Later – A Surreal and Hypnotic Sci-Fi/Horror Gem

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, zombies

“Dawn of the Dead” 20 Years Later – Still One of the Best Horror Remakes

Remaking a classic is always a difficult task, as it will inevitably draw comparisons to the original and fans will most likely be disappointed.  However, every now and then, a remake comes along that manages to do its source movie justice and do something new and fresh with the material.  That’s very much the case with 2004’s Dawn of the Dead. Written by James Gunn … Continue reading “Dawn of the Dead” 20 Years Later – Still One of the Best Horror Remakes

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Nostalgia, Opinion/Editorial, vampires

“Blood For Dracula” 50 Years Later – A Bizarre, Campy Dracula Movie You Probably Never Heard Of

Dracula remains one of the most adapted characters in the history of both literature and film.  There are dozens of iconic portrayals that come to mind and everyone has their favorite version of the character. One such version that most people probably haven’t heard of is 1974’s Blood for Dracula.  Starring a very young (and malnourished) Udo Kier, it’s a strange film to say the … Continue reading “Blood For Dracula” 50 Years Later – A Bizarre, Campy Dracula Movie You Probably Never Heard Of

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Nostalgia, Slashers

Friday the 13th (2009) Is Still a Solid Remake 15 Years Later

Jason Vorhees remains one of the most iconic horror villains of all time.  And much to the dismay of his fans, his franchise has been stuck in legal limbo for the better part of a decade now.  As the original director (Sean Cunningham) and the original screenwriter (Victor Miller) contend over who owns what, and who has the right to use which aspects of which … Continue reading Friday the 13th (2009) Is Still a Solid Remake 15 Years Later

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