The Face of Michael Myers: 1978-1981
For many HalloweeN fans, the mask of Michael Myers is the actual face of Michael Myers: person and accessory have become inseparable. Unlike other masked slashers, Michael is rarely shown unmasked. Fans of the Friday The 13th series get to see Jason Voorhees’ disfigured face in most of the movies. Meanwhile, part of the appeal of the…
Twixt : Francis Ford Coppola’s new Horror Film
Francis Ford Coppola’s forthcoming release is to be a quirky horror film starring Val Kilmer. Coppola wrote and directed Twixt, which premiered at 2011’s Toronto International Film Festival in September. Coppola has stated that Twixt is a very personal film. It is partially based on Coppola’s feelings of guilt over the real life loss of…
Halloween 6: A Game between two Doctors
In Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), why did Dr. Wynn choose Dr. Loomis as the man to replace him as Michael Myers’ guardian and leader of the cult of Thorn? I’ve watched both the Theatrical Version and Producer’s Cut of the film, but it doesn’t make much sense to me. Part of this…
Apollo 18 : Houston, we have a Problem
The found-footage genre took us deep into the woods with The Blair Witch Project (1999). It exposed the ghost of John Wayne Gacy in 8213: Gacy House (2010). It documented a demonic entity in the Paranormal Activity series. In Diary of the Dead (2008), found-footage highlighted the deceased returning to life. With Apollo 18, the…
Will Contagion be Catchy?
Brace yourself (or not). Soon to be released is Contagion, the latest film from award-winning director Steven Soderbergh. It stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Laurence Fishburne. Until I saw an advertisement for this film on the side of a bus a few weeks ago, I hadn’t heard of this film. It deals with…