EL HOMBRE SIN ROSTRO
This 1950 Mexican horror fest is notable for its similarities to PSYCHO, which it preceded by a decade
FOREIGN NOVELS IN TRANSLATION: MY TWELVE MOST WANTED
I’ve been called a snob about translated novels, but in fact my preference for such books is quite basic and, I believe, well-reasoned
The Curious Case of Jonathan Demme
The untimely demise of film director Jonathan Demme on April 26, 2017 has inspired a number of obituaries. All, unsurprisingly, have been downright orgasmic about his accomplishments.
Tracking the Fortunes of the New Friday the 13th
It’s the week of February 13, 2009 and the hotly promoted FRIDAY THE 13th remake has opened number one at the U.S. box office.
OPEN SEASON
Here’s a perfect case study in how a bad movie adaptation can tarnish the reputation of a really good book.
NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY
The wit, verve and imagination that characterize Goldman’s best work are very much evident in this suspenseful and macabre novel that predates everything from DEXTER to NATURAL BORN KILLERS in its furiously inventive account of the fortunes of a mass murderer. I say it’s one of William Goldman’s finest books.
MR. OVERBY IS FALLING: DIRECTOR CUT
After reading this newly revised “Director’s Cut” version, which contains a retrospective introduction by the author and several newly written footnotes, I fully understand the book’s popularity.
MEFISTO IN ONYX
Think SCANNERS crossed with SILENCE OF THE LAMBS as related by Jim Thompson and you’ll have the gist of this weird and wonderful novella by Harlan Ellison.
The Strange Saga of the Exorcist Sequels
1973’s THE EXORCIST remains one of the most successful and enduring horror movies of all time yet, Hollywood being as it is, multiple sequels were an inevitability.
LEGION
This is the official sequel to THE EXORCIST (the novel) written by its creator William Peter Blatty. Most of the things that made THE EXORCIST such a memorable read are in evidence in LEGION, including page-turning suspense, strong characterizations and a powerful sense of raging evil.