the words and worlds of John Robinson
Last weekend, Sunday morning to be exact, I woke early. It was my day off from work, my son was with his mom for the weekend and, being left alone to my own devices, I felt like being lazy. I didn't really want to write (I know, it's a cardinal sin) and I was not …
In the English suburbs live Billy and Myra Savage. The Savages appear to be a typical, middleclass British couple-- unassuming people in an unassuming house. Normal, more or less, except for Arthur doesn't work due to his asthma and Myra is a medium who believes she talks to the spirit of their dead son, Arthur, …
Continue reading "Movie of the Week: Séance on a Wet Afternoon"
I've made it a point with Curio Macabre to only talk about things I like: the artists who have inspired me and those works which have influenced me, no matter how small the degree. I don't want to spend time talking about things I don't like-- life's too short for that kind of stuff. I …
I don't know when it started, or for how long they will have them, but the good folks at Shudder have added a selection of classic Val Lewton films to their streaming line-up. Included in the collection is the granddaddy of the jump scare, Cat People. In the words of Randy "Macho Man" Savage-- "Oooh …
Does Ira Levin get enough credit? Not just as a horror/thriller writer, but as a great writer overall? Think about it, when was the last time someone said, "Oh, I really love, or like, Ira Levin and his work," in reference to being asked their favorite authors or novels? When was the last time he …
War is hell, no matter how you spin it. Private Charlie Shakespeare knows that all too well. At sixteen years old, he has lied about his age and enlisted in the military. As a British soldier he finds himself in a trench on the front lines facing the onslaught of German artillery. And his squad …
On a routine morning, a man reads the front page of the newspaper and is reminded of his time as a student, eight years previously, at New Sharon Teachers' College. Those were the days when a strawberry spring descended before a severe cold snap afflicted the region. It brought with it thick nights of fog, …
I’ve never been scared by an Easter themed, or Easter set, horror movie. Honestly, I’ve not seen a good one, or one which was even remotely interesting, other than Critters 2: The Main Course (it’s amusing). Most have been played for laughs and are bottom-of-the-barrel, no budget affairs. The one movie that did scare the …
Is there anything better than Golden Age Hollywood? From the early days of silent pictures to about the mid to late sixties (the standard defining time), the Dream Factory of La La Land, with its studio kingdoms, was the home of American royalty. The Golden Age, especially the thirties and forties, to my mind, is …
“And we will all go down the labyrinth to meet whatever awaits us there.” Peter Jennings once hosted a documentary news special entitled, UFOs: Seeing Is Believing. It is one of the best ever produced on the subject (Peter Jennings was involved, so you could expect nothing less than stellar). I happened to see an …
Curio Macabre 