Simon and Garfunkel’s song “The Sound of Silence,” with the unforgettable lyrics, “Hello, darkness my old friend,” contributes to the brilliance of the opening credit sequence of The Graduate (1967). The song would be a perfect fit for the dark, depressing “Return home from Vietnam” drama/undead horror classic Deathdream (1974).

“Scanners” have special powers: they possess incredible telepathic abilities. Dangerous abilities. The ConSec security company wants to harness their powers for profit. Scanners, however, are difficult to control, and, when so inclined, they can invade the mind and literally cause heads to explode. Can scientists convince “good” scanners to defeat deadly rogue scanners intent on domination? Or will evil corporatists …

The Howling (1981) deserves its cult status as, arguably, one of the best werewolf films ever made. Screenwriter John Sayles (Alligator, Lone Star) rewrote Terence H. Winkless’ original draft adaptation of a marginal pulp horror novel written by Gary Brandner and crafted a brilliant script that expertly combined crime procedurals, horror, and humor. Director Joe Dante drew from his deep …

Horror movies present intriguing hypothetical avenues for critical analysis. Whether an escapist or gritty film, audiences can look for themes within the subtext driving the story. Unless, of course, we are dealing with entirely disposable entertainment. The horror movie genre often roots itself in pure exploitation, with a distribution company-driven product designed to make fast money. Exploitation roots, however, don’t …

The horror genre, like virtually all genres, relies on many repetitive narrative constructs. Characters in horror movies tend to make the same errors in judgment time and time again, finding themselves unavoidably in trouble. Mad scientists famously never learn lessons by predecessors when trying to either play God or engage in garishly unethical experiments. Audiences famously never grow tired of …

Both Werewolf by Night and Moon Knight are coming to Marvel’s live-action productions. The debut of Jack Russell, The Werewolf, comes after a lengthy delay. A film version of Werewolf by Night saw an official announcement in 2005, and promotional material even made its way to public buses. The project ended up shelved, though. Now, Marvel Studios wants to expand …

Who knows what fears and anxieties exist deep inside the human mind? Memories and coherent thought patterns aren’t always accessible, but the subconscious may bring forth fragments through dreams. While they might seem like short films playing out while we sleep, they don’t always follow a documentary structure. At times, they can prove mysterious or obvious, surreal or straightforward, experimental …

A common theme among the iconic science-fiction author Phillip K. Dick focused on a simple question, “What does it mean to be human?” In his short stories and extended works such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (aka Blade Runner), Dick examined humanity through inhuman characters such as androids and aliens. Other creative talents explored similar questions in scores …

The Night Stalker wasn’t your typical vampire movie, and Carl Kolchak wasn’t your typical vampire film hero. From the silent era to the late 1960s, vampire films, generally, took place in the past. During the 1970s, production houses, looking for something to spark life into tired horror movie formulas, moved vampires to modern days. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) scored a …

Music, Monsters, and Even Spies Add Up to an Assignment: Terror During the 1960s through the 1980s, many low-budget European horror films boasted outstanding soundtracks. Even some genuinely awful grade-B movies sported brilliant theme music. The wild classic creatures ensemble romp, The Monsters of Terror (1970), might not make much narrative sense, but you can still dance to the trippy …