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Reviews & Commentary by Adam Groves
THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS
The first horror film made by Disney, and a bust
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX
A film that plays like it was made by the Joker himself and, I say, a worthwhile effort
SILVER BULLET
This 1985 release can lay claim to being among the absolute dumbest Stephen King movies
MOVING VIOLATIONS
The “institutional comedy” model, established in 1984 by POLICE ACADEMY, was given a fair-to-middling workout in this science fiction-tinged comedy
FIFTY MILLION YEARS AGO
Or: 1925’s other dinosaur movie
SICK
A promising but not entirely successful horror novel that debuted at the wrong time
GHOSTS IN THE SWAMP
A long-forgotten German horror-science fiction-fantasy epic, translated by indefatigable Joe E. Bandel
CHOICE CUTS
Initially published back in 1965, CHOICE CUTS is, despite some affecting passages, strictly a product of its time
TRAPPED
I maintain that the Edmund Plante authored 1987 horror-fest TRANSFORMATION is a rotgut classic. TRAPPED, Plante’s similarly oriented 1989 follow-up, is not.
TRANSFORMATION
Heavy reading this novel isn’t, but in terms of sheer grossness it’s a standout.
HANNS HEINZ EWERS: THE STORY OF HIS DEVELOPMENT
Here Joe E. Bandel, who specializes in translating early 20th century European literature, turned his attention to a little-known German language biography of Hanns Heinz Ewers (1871-1943)
WITH LOVE, MOMMIE DEAREST: THE MAKING OF AN UNINTENTIONAL CAMP CLASSIC
All about the making of MOMMIE DEAREST (1981)
KUBRICK: AN ODYSSEY
This book has been proclaimed the definitive biography of the great Stanley Kubrick, and for once the hype is correct
SALUTING THE BLOOD OF HEROES: BEHIND THE APOCALYPTIC FILM
The Second book by author Danny Stewart, who’s quickly establishing himself as one of the preeminent chroniclers of underappreciated science fiction cinema from the eighties and nineties
OMNI’S SCREEN FLIGHTS/SCREEN FANTASIES
For years this was the best book about science fiction onscreen, a title it lost only because it’s now 40 years old
Kris Kristofferson: 1936-2024
Looking over an eccentric yet highly distinguished acting career
Horror Novels About Making Movies: A Ranking
Ten standout moviemaking-themed horror novels
BEETLEJUICE vs. BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
All about BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE and why it exists
10 Notable Cinematic Depictions of the Inferno
My top 10 Hell-set films
Films Misplaced: 50 That Got Away
“Lost” films? Not quite.