Explore the Lore
The Haunting of Vancouver Island: Supernatural Encounters with the Other Side by Shanon Sinn Touchwood Editions, Canada, 2017 4/5 Much like entering an allegedly haunted house, with little knowledge of the skulking revenants, Shanon Sinn’s book The Haunting of Vancouver Island has that je ne sais quoi that’s only apparent […]
ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads Director: Brian Oakes Studio: Netflix 4/5 Mississippi’s own Faustian tale of Robert Johnson has been given its due documentary treatment. Remastered: Devil at the Crosswords shares what little there is about renowned blues musician Robert Johnson through academics, musicians (Keith Richards and Bonnie Raitt among […]
The Curse of La Llorona Director: Michael Chaves Cast: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez Studio: Warner Brothers 4/5 Folklore has its roots in the real world. Something inexplicable occurred that the locals didn’t have an explanation for, and thus took it as an opportunity to teach through the […]
The best part of the horror genre is its ability to seize the social anxieties of the day and to mortar and pestle them into a grotesque pill that does not go down easily. With an internal struggle against “illegals” crossing the Mexico-U.S. border and a president who seems mulish […]
Victoria’s Most Haunted: Ghost Stories from BC’s Historic Capital City by Ian Gibbs Touchwood Editions, Canada, 2017 3.5/5 As I dipped my mental toe into the waters of Ian Gibbs’ Victoria’s Most Haunted, I realized the opening vignette was very familiar. Back in 2013, my wife and I had stayed […]
The Prodigy Director: Nicholas McCarthy Cast: Taylor Schilling, Brittany Allen, Jackson Robert Scott Studio: Orion Pictures 4/5 Much like Dr. Elaine Stasser (Paula Boudreau) and Arthur Jacobson (Colm Feore) explain in the film, The Prodigy, reincarnation has been around for quite some time either through Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. But it’s not just […]
Velvet Buzzsaw Director: Dan Gilroy Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton and John Malkovich Studio: Netflix 3.5/5 There is a painting called “The Anguished Man” that allegedly has the blood of its artist used within its own acrylics. Of course, it could be that it’s part of a creepypasta that is continuously drumming up more believers affixed to the […]
Great Canadian Ghost Stories by Barbara Smith Touchwood Editions, Canada, 2018 4/5 Each page turn of Barbara Smith’s Great Canadian Ghost Stories was a finger pull on a View-Master’s lever. Rife with viewports into Canada’s supernatural tales, Smith refrains from her traditional provincial campfire tales and cups her hand over her eyes to view for miles nationwide. […]
Smallfoot Director: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jason Reisig Cast: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya Studio: Warner Brothers 3.5/5 As warm and fuzzy as the Yeti is in Smallfoot appear, there is a very sobering message about organized belief systems and human nature snuggled into the narrative. The Yeti, a.k.a. Abominable Snowman, a.k.a. […]
“The Haunting of Hill House” Creator: Mike Flanagan Cast: Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman, Timothy Hutton and Elizabeth Reaser Network: Netflix 4.5/5 If there’s a lesson to be learned from the recent interpretation of Shirley Jackson’s highly influential novel, The Haunting of Hill House, it’s don’t have more than two kids. […]