They Want to Suck Your Blood

October is all about chilly, cozy autumn vibes and binging all things horror. I relish these 31 days spent gorging on scary novels, short stories, movies, art, podcasts, television, comics, you name it and I’m feasting on all the horror right now. Speaking of feasting—what a segue—vampires are one of the stars of October, no … Continue reading They Want to Suck Your Blood

“The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5

A film that inspires either loving or loathing, but rarely anything in between, Mother! opened five years ago this September. I saw it in the theater by myself, but with a decent number of other moviegoers. As the madness intensified over the film’s running time, I slid lower down in my seat, as if trying … Continue reading “The Sink’s Not Braced!”: Mother! Turns 5

“Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On

Mary Mason has built a diverse resume: medical student, illegal underground surgeon, and dark avenging angel. Slightly detached and desperate for money to pay for school, Mary auditions for a job at the local strip club. The manager Billy seems smitten. Later he even fantasizes about Mary performing an erotically charged dance—one of several instances … Continue reading “Do You Think I’m Crazy?”: American Mary, 10 Years On

Twenty Years of Blogs That Inspire Me

I've been thinking a lot lately about writing. What got me into writing, and then what brought me back to it. The ways in which the internet has largely democratized writing—for good and bad—and how several of my writing inspirations over the last two decades have been online, at both "establishment" hubs and small, one-person … Continue reading Twenty Years of Blogs That Inspire Me

The Neon Demon

I finally watched Nicholas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon (2016) and can’t quite shake its gorgeous aesthetic and haunting mood. Seeing as it’s set in the high-stakes Los Angeles fashion world, it comes as no surprise that nearly every single character is a vapid, raging, sociopathic narcissist. Elle Fanning plays the supernaturally beautiful teenage model … Continue reading The Neon Demon

Bad Girls We Love: Barb from Black Christmas

When it comes to bad girls of horror, none are badder than Barb from the original, and still-supreme—no matter how many remakes they throw at us—Black Christmas (1974). The film is legendary, and so is Margot Kidder’s performance as the wisecracking, frequently intoxicated sorority sister Barb. It's filled with outstanding performances, including Olivia Hussey as … Continue reading Bad Girls We Love: Barb from Black Christmas