For all the lackluster films that have come and gone with little fanfare, there is occasionally a diamond in the rough. Even if it didn’t gain much notoriety during its run in theaters, there was one movie that swam its way into a suspenseful and surprisingly enjoyable foothold in the horror genre: Underwater, starring Kristen Stewart and the big bad Cthulhu himself. The film breathes a welcoming originality into the mysterious enemies that slowly pick off the cast one by one…
When Is The Costume A Costume No More? An interview with freelance artist and costume designer Harry Pearce. I’ve been…
Ah, August. The peak of summer, where the sun shines hot and bright in the sky, beaches are packed, and theaters are packed with blockbuster hits full of action and adventure. It’s not a typical time when you’d expect to see a horror movie debut, but in 2019 summer served up some surprisingly potent scares with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Based on the horror anthology series of the same name, which became infamous for illustrator Stephen Gammell’s disturbing artwork, the film was helmed by André Øvredal and Guillermo del Toro to bring several of the more insidious tales and creatures to life…
While big film and television studios might still be looking for ways to safely resume production, nontraditional companies have found a bit more flexibility in returning to the small screen. Hosted on websites like YouTube and Twitch, streams can range from one individual to a whole cast and crew…
What makes The Haunting of Hill House so impressive is how the story itself is executed. What could’ve been a campy horror story filled with jumpscares and overused tropes was instead a carefully crafted, slow-burn tale that saved its few jumpscares for just the right moments. Furniture and wallpaper are arranged to resemble faces hidden in almost every scene, and the ghosts of Hill House lurk in almost every scene – often in plain sight yet easily missed…
Kipo tells the story of a world far in the future, when humanity has been forced underground by “mutes” – mutated, intelligent animals that have since taken over the surface world. Nature has reclaimed civilization, and humans live in small community “bunkers” just trying to survive. Kipo, a young girl from one such community, suddenly finds herself alone on the surface after being forced to flee her bunker when it is attacked by a massive, six-armed Mega Mute monkey.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a masterclass in creating an entirely unique story set in a world full of lore and detail. The emotionally heavier elements are balanced by incredible world-building and character development, as well as genuinely funny moments and compelling subplots. I find myself turning to Avatar when I need a breather from current events because I can escape into a rich, diverse, creative world that makes me laugh and cry all at once.
