The Influence of “Get Out” and Its Limitations for Horror
Jordan Peele’s Get Out was a seminal horror film. Unsettling, witty, and hugely political. It was made with a great deal of respect for the genre, yet Peele also elevated frighteners too, making a film that became a genuine “water cooler” pop culture entry. For months, people couldn’t stop talking about its twists, shocks, and […]
“Haunt” Conjures Up Fresh Scares in Its Familiar Setting
The new horror movie Haunt starts with a simple, yet potent premise. Its setting is one of those makeshift haunted house attractions that pop up in vacant storefronts or suburban lots around Halloween to challenge customers to “survive” its maze of scares. The college kids who enter the one in this film have no idea […]
“Scary Stories” Will Frighten Kids, But for Adults, This Isn’t “It”
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, adapted from the popular fictional anthologies written by Alvin Schwartz, has the unenviable timing of opening in the week after the horrible shooting tragedies. Fictional ghost stories can’t hold a candle to the horrors of the real world. PG-13 rated frighteners rarely have the impact of the R-rated […]
What the CBS Reboot of “The Twilight Zone” Needs to Do to Get Better
Rebooting any classic film or TV show is asking for trouble, let alone a beloved series such as The Twilight Zone. There have already been two mediocre attempts on television to bring back the show, not to mention an uneven 1983 theatrical film. None of them could hold a candle to the original TV series […]
“Silent Films Don’t Lean On The Crutch Of Dialogue” Bryan Woods & Scott Beck Talk ‘A Quiet Place’
Filmmakers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods first met as sixth-graders in their hometown of Bettendorf, Iowa. Beck & Woods’ most recent film on the big screen is Paramount Pictures’ A Quiet Place, based on their original screenplay. The critically acclaimed box-office smash stars Emily Blunt alongside John Krasinski, who also directed. The duo is in […]
