the words and worlds of John Robinson
I have a love/hate relationship with found footage movies. There are very few of them I actually like. The majority of them just seem implausible to me-- when the crap has hit the proverbial fan and the world is being torn asunder by a giant monster, or whatever, the characters have to document the entire …
Once upon a time, I was an ardent fan of the Doors. When Oliver Stone's biopic of Jim Morrison and his bandmates was released, I was first in line. I loved the movie and blasted the soundtrack non-stop. It was thanks to The Doors soundtrack that I discovered Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. The Velvet's …
So, speaking of Andrei Chikatilo in my Child 44 article, the movie this week really had to be Citizen X.  In 1982, in the Soviet Union, a farmer makes a grisly discovery during his crop harvest: he unearths a body. The police are called to the scene and a search is initiated. When Viktor Burakov, the …
I've recently been reading a book by a very successful commercial author. It's a mystery/suspense novel. And, well, it passes the time. It doesn't pull me in, doesn't make me believe the characters are more than anything than walking names who say words (and they don't particularly talk like actual people). Sadly, the world of …
Well, we've made it this far: 2020 is almost over. It's been a memorable ride, hasn't it? Here's to 2021. Whereas Christmas makes me nostalgic, New Year's Eve, and Day, makes me hopeful. On Christmas night I have a personal tradition, once my son is fast asleep and the house is quiet, of sitting with …
Son of a gun, it's Christmas Eve. Time flies when you're having fun, and Christmas gets here a lot sooner when you're the one buying all the gifts. I won't keep you long, I know you're busy, but I thought I'd share my holiday viewing this week. It has turned rather frigid here in Tennessee …
Well, Christmas is right here on us, once again. Just like with Halloween and Thanksgiving (and most of 2020's other holidays), this year's celebrations may be a little different. Whether you have a small gathering at home or plan to have a merry little Zoom yuletide, I hope you take the time to send, and …
Is it just me or has there always been something inherently creepy about Santa Claus? Kris Kringle doesn't just spy on us, he has us under an extensive, constant surveillance our enemies (or our own government) can only dream of. He knows so much about each and everyone of us, he knows when we've been …
Continue reading "Movie of the Week: Black Christmas (1974)"
Ahh, Christmas. Proverbially, the most wonderful time of the year. I won’t argue, I think it’s pretty nice. Like a lot of people, other hopeless romantics, I have often dreamed of, prayed and hoped for, a perfect Christmas Day. For some it could be waking to a pristine blanket of snow on December 25th complete …
To think of classic British horror, one automatically goes straight to Hammer. That's reasonable, they put out some stellar genre films (a favorite of mine remains Captain Kronos-- Vampire Hunter). In competition with them was Amicus and their varied slate of films. Their horror was predominantly anthology movies and the best of them, better than …
Continue reading "Movie of the Week: Tales from the Crypt (1972)"
Curio Macabre 