Martin Landau wasn’t a “horror actor” like Vincent Price or Christopher Lee, but when he stepped into the genre, he elevated it. From the fiery preacher in Alone in the Dark to his Oscar winning turn as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood, Landau proved that madness could have meaning.
Horror snobs who brag they’ve never been scared by a movie? Go to hell. Modern horror still works, it’s just waiting for you to meet it halfway. A raw look at why fear isn’t dead, audiences are just too numb to feel it.
Freddy Krueger wasn’t just a slasher, he was the 1980s. He cracked jokes, haunted dreams, and showed up everywhere from MTV to lunchboxes. While Jason and Michael lurked in the shadows, Freddy owned the spotlight. Here’s why the dream demon ruled the decade… and how he got buried under the sands of time.
The Halloween sequels tried to tie Michael Myers to ancient Celtic curses and runic cults, but the truth behind Samhain is stranger, and simpler. It was never about blood sacrifices or constellations, just fear, firelight, and the turning of seasons. Here’s how the movies got it wrong, and why that might be what makes them perfect.
Before bobbing for apples was a party game, it was a sacred Samhain ritual for seeing the future. Apples, nuts, and bones once helped the living peek beyond the veil, asking spirits about love, death, and fate. Here’s how a Celtic act of divination became a splashy Halloween staple.
The word “Halloween” is a centuries old shortcut for “All Hallows’ Eve.” But behind that lazy contraction lies a deeper story, one where sacred bonfires, fortune telling, and ancestor worship slowly transformed into candy, costumes, and porch lights. Here’s how a Celtic New Year became a global party for the living and the dead.
From ancient bonfires to candy bars, Halloween’s transformation wasn’t magic, it was marketing. Irish and Scottish traditions crossed the ocean, candy companies saw an opening, and the world’s sweetest night was born. Here’s how Samhain’s spooky roots evolved into a global celebration of costumes, capitalism, and sugar-coated nostalgia.
Before pumpkins ever hit American porches, the Irish were carving turnips to ward off evil. The tale of “Smiling Jack” is just folklore layered over a much older ritual. Here’s how a ghost story, some glowing coals, and a few Irish immigrants turned the humble pumpkin into Halloween’s grinning face.
Can you admire a horror film while condemning its creator?
In The Ethics of Fear: The Jeepers Creepers Conundrum, we dig into what it really means to separate art from the artist and why horror fans shouldn’t have to surrender their right to think for themselves.
Have you ever wondered who really still owns the Friday the 13th movie rights? It seems you are not alone.
