While every day around these parts feels like Halloween, it’s nice to be in the official throes of the one month of the year when people don’t look askance at us for loving horror! So in between haunted hayride jaunts and attempting to pumpkin carve an homage to The Golden Girls, we’ve been busy mainlining all of the great horror that seemingly dropped overnight. Horror television, in particular, is having a moment ya’ll and we heartily recommend you clear your schedule and marathon The Purge and Haunting of Hill House immediately. We’ll talk more about each of these in the future, but trust us that you won’t want to be spoiled.
It’s enough to make even Vincent Price crack a smile, I tell ya!
Obviously, October is a month we horror fans take seriously and that commitment to talking about the best in the genre led to some excellent pieces you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss including reimaging Hereditary as folk horror, 3 films that explain Apostle, the clever inventiveness of Channel Zero, and an exploration on how Halloween (2018) speaks to our current climate of rage. This month we’ve also shown some love to The Walking Dead (we’re gonna miss you Rick Grimes!) with pieces that explore race and masculinity, the narrative function of fire, and how the series plays with the idea of the hyperreal hillbilly. And if that’s not enough zombie action for you, we also ran a great piece on the subversion of the American zombie in Get Out.
But we wouldn’t leave you without first offering up some tasty morsels culled from the interwebs. So slip into your footie pajamas, climb under the covers and prepare yourself for a cavalcade of awesome reads!
// Attention local peeps of the Lehigh Valley! Frankenreads will conclude with a super rad read-a-thon at the Bethlehem Area Library and you won’t want to miss it!
// Let’s address the elephant in the room. Jason Blum’s comments about a dearth of female horror directors lit up social media and has us still talking. While some female directors were quick to support him, this list by Film School Rejects breaks down 30 female directors who could slay any horror production. To his credit, Blum has issued a mea culpa and we’re hoping this translates into more opportunities for female filmmakers.
// Can we all just take a moment to soak in this Jamie Lee Curtis tweet?
Seriously, in a world gone haywire, we are taking our wins where we can get ‘em and the world will always need more Laurie Strode. Sure, we may not have loved the new Halloween but we are thrilled that women in horror, especially those over 35, are smashing the age old assumption that female driven horror can’t sell movie tickets.
// Like everyone else, we anxiously anticipated Halloween (2018) and we can’t think of any better way than to celebrate its release than by downloading these truly stunning news style infographics by artist Tony Brannon. And did we mention they’re free? There are three styles to choose from and all are frameworthy.
// Everyone is talking about Haunting at Hill House (and for good reason-that 6th episode is art!) but did you catch all of the show’s hidden ghosts?
// Our new favorite sub-genre of Youtube is academic book trailers and this one for Darryl Jones’ Sleeping with the Lights On: The Unsettling Story of Horror from Oxford University Press is the perfect blend of creepy kitsch!
// I’ve long believed that trauma and not fear is the root of horror which is why W. Scott Poole’s new book Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror is at the top of my TBR list! Be sure to also check out this excellent interview with the author in Vice.
// Britt Hayes makes the convincing case that this year’s biggest horror trend is about inherited trauma and familial mental illness. This is a definite must read!
// This well crafted essay is a wonderful introduction to the connection between science and the supernatural in the 19th century.
// Forget about mask wielding maniacs, there is a persuasive case to be made that the most traumatizing film on record revolves around the exploits of cartoon bunnies.
// Is Clive Barker’s Nightbreed an allegory for intolerance? This Graveyard Shift Sisters piece makes the case for why the oft ignored classic deserves another look.
// For the more sartorially inclined, this interview with Dr. Alison Matthews David on fashion’s killing history is essential listening. You’ll never look at a corset the same way again!
// Have we been giving Mrs. Bates a bum rap all these years? This fresh look at Psycho has us reconsidering what it is we thought we knew about Norman’s mama.
// Classic horror junkies rejoice! Here’s a list of pre-1970s films full of spine tingly goodness that you’ll want to watch year round.
// The artistry behind horror masks never ceases to amaze me for their creativity and these gems make that case far better than I could ever so enjoy!
// The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina finally debuted to mixed reviews. But one thing everyone can agree on is that this is one beautiful looking show!
// And there are six days left of the crowdfunding campaign for the first collection by independent publisher, House of Leaves. Support their Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film! We’ll be publishing a preview chapter in the upcoming days.
That’s a wrap for us. We’ve still got children to scare and candy to consume, so from our coven to yours…HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
