Feature Article

Right now we are in the era of the expanded universe. We have Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Black Mirror, and even Parks and Rec/The Good Place. One of the often overlooked storyscapes is the world created by Stephen King. His work doesn’t always connect the dots for us, but if you pin his book covers to a map of New …

The coming of sound to the movies meant a great deal to the development of the fantasy genre. Although science fiction and particularly horror films had been produced since the earliest days of the medium, the addition of dialogue and, more importantly, special effects, greatly enhanced the creative abilities of filmmakers. As early as the turn of last century, Frenchman …

With the recent 2018 release of the remake of Dario Argento’s genre-defining seminal classic Suspiria, the movie has been quite hot in the horror press. Yet again, Suspiria made headlines as recently, Dario Argento stated that the film neither excited nor impressed him, feeling that it betrayed his original masterpiece. Quite a blow to 2018 director Luca Guadagnino’s fresh interpretation …

Welcome to the Hellraiser Franchise Movies Overview (Part 2) In part two of this month’s Bump in the Night, we’re looking at the non-Barker Hellraiser movies. Of all the major franchises, Hellraiser has by far earned the least at the box office. The first two films were bona fide successes, but there came a steep decline in returns. The series …

Horror film history is filled with imaginary psychopaths whose exploits are based on real life maniacs. Classics like Psycho (1960), Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), M (1931), and Targets (1968) were all fictionalized versions of genuine human monsters who had fascinating stories well-worth revisiting. To kick things off, we’ll focus on the inspirations behind the late Tobe Hooper’s …

In no other film genre is the musical score as important as it is in a horror or suspense drama. The score sets the mood (usually dark, creepy or mysterious), leads the audience down blind alleys, and then springs the jump scare on the hapless viewers when they least expect it. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, anyway. Some …

The following article is the third and final part of a three-part list of films featuring serial killers. I’ve deliberately avoided movies concerning ‘spree killers’, ‘obsessed fan’ films, and movies that contain supernatural elements. It is not intended to be a complete list nor terribly insightful, but a simple rundown of the best, worst and most interesting serial killer titles …

The human psyche is a complex thing. Not content with the status quo we fashion for ourselves, we seek to push the limits of our capabilities in the form of self-imposed challenges. This may be something personal, like weight loss, something educational like learning a language, or something elemental like climbing a mountain. Over recent months I have lost a …

I am a sucker for a good ghost story. In fact, I would go as far as saying that when it comes to horror films, it is quite possibly my favourite type of horror. There’s just something about dark, unseen forces that create a sense of dread that I simply do not get from stories about more tactile dangers. While …

Have you noticed how every brilliant, well educated, pillar of the community type of person seems to have an idiot sibling with nine DUIs, and a collection of eviction notices from local trailer parks? These two people may look alike and be organ donor compatible, but that’s where the resemblance ends. Well, movies are kind of like that too—for every …

The jump scare is an art itself. The masterful way in which a scene can transform from calm and tranquil into terrifying and tense. Few films have truly perfected the use of a jump scare, but when used successfully, your heart is guaranteed to skip a few beats. From films as early as Carrie to the recent films such as …

Ever since their release, horror films have been keeping us from sleep and making us wonder what goes bump in the night. But horror films have also been known to disgust us, showing classic scenes of teenagers getting random appendages sliced off, disembowelment or even torture scenes. The modern film audiences expect horror films to have gore in them, its just a …

You wake in an unfamiliar location. The smell of dirt surrounds you. The dark sky is an endless expanse above. You realize you’re lying in a fresh grave. Above you, the shape of a man appears. He cracks a crude joke and laughs, a high nasally sound. He helps you out of the grave, dusting you off as you gain …

As a fan of horror, and growing up in the 80s, I got to see a lot of fantastic horror movies. In 1978, John Carpenter captures what it meant to be afraid. When that piano strikes, and the title card that reads “Halloween” appears, the hair on your arms starts to rise. There is an electricity to it; a fear, …

With the upcoming release of Halloween on 19th October, it’s only fitting that we look through the evolution of one of the most iconic slasher stars, Michael Myers. Whether you’ve been there from the beginning or just starting to be introduced to the Halloween franchise, you’re doubtlessly well-acquainted with the masked murderer, who has been tainting large butcher knives for …