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Reviews & Commentary by Adam Groves
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
Not too many movies can be said to have attained success based solely on the quality of a monster suit, but in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON that is indeed the case
NECROMANIA
This XXX-rated “Tale of Weird Love” was one of the final films directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
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
DEUS IRAE
In science fiction terms this book marked a true dream collaboration, it being the first and only novel by Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny
SPARES
From the UK’s Michael Marshall Smith, a diusturbing sci fi dystopia that was supposed to be adapted for film by Dreamworks, but wasn’t
LYCHEE LIGHT CLUB
A manga one-shot involving perversion and psychosis amid a group of middle schoolers. It’s much better than you might expect.
LOST SOULS
A happy birthday to the horror icon Poppy Z. Brite, whose debut novel this was
SEXUALIS ’95
A very accurate (not!) portrayal of the year 1995 was offered up in this novel, one of two available English translations by Belgium’s Jacques Sternberg
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST AND THE SAVAGE CINEMA OF RUGGERO DEODATO
The only English language book dedicated solely to the recently deceased Ruggero Deodato.
JOHN KOBAL PRESENTS THE TOP 100 MOVIES
Exactly what the title promises: a listing of the 100 “best” movies ever, put together by the Canadian author and archivist John Kobal
THE UNSEEN FORCE: THE FILMS OF SAM RAIMI
The first book devoted entirely to the life and films of Sam Raimi
DEAN KOONTZ: A WRITER’S BIOGRAPHY
Katherine Ramsland, who’s best known for authoring several nonfiction books about Anne Rice, here turns her sights on another bestselling genre novelist: Dean Koontz
CINEMA SPECULATION
Passionate and entertaining writing on cinema by the one and only Quentin Tarantino
BUBBA HO-TEP at 20
Here’s a film that hasn’t been getting too many retrospectives, but I say it’s deserving of at least one
Documenting Terry Gilliam
Two books and four docs about the one and only Terry Gilliam
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST at 35
On the most controversial film of our time
TV Flashback: DARK DREAMERS
I’m not sure how Stanley Wiater managed to convince a Canadian TV channel to broadcast a show comprised entirely of interviews with horror writers and filmmakers, but I’m glad he did
William Friedkin’s Films, Ranked
On August 7, 2023, film director extraordinaire William Friedkin, a.k.a. Hurricane Billy, passed away. Here’s my ranking of his 20 features.