Tracing The Shape
Great Final Girls come in all varieties. Despite what Randy Meeks would have you believe, there is no single formula for nailing the character in any given film. If there was a formula, though, it would be Laurie Strode. Virtuous, apparently pure of heart and body, and determined to fight
Halloween
Sam Loomis is a mad scientist. We don't know if he's always been that way, and we get no clues as to what other factors in his life have driven him to this point, but by the time we meet this man, framed as the hero
podcasts
I've been a fan of Talking Scared, Neil McRobert's author interview podcast, for years. To my mind it's the best show of its kind, and Neil is the best interviewer in the game at the moment. So I was thrilled, as both a listener
John Carpenter
What does Michael Myers want? It's question we will return to again and again over the course of our journey together in these essays, because it's unknown and unknowable. Michael cannot, will not tell us, leaving us only with his actions and the fevered analysis of
Tracing The Shape
Every year, my wife hosts a pumpkin carving party for family and friends. It's a very chill evening, complete with snacks and drinks and, usually, something very kid-friendly on TV. It's also the evening that, every year, I carve the same jack-o'-lantern: The one
movies
The image you see above is my favorite shot in all of horror cinema. I've done my homework, looked at all the other major contenders, and it's never gotten better or more atmospheric than this single image. Despite how much I talk about and think about
books
I've been listening to Neil McRobert talk about horror writing on his essential podcast, Talking Scared, for years now, so when I learned he had a novella landing in 2025 I reached out to the publisher, because I wanted to make sure I got an early look at
books
I've been an admirer of Becky Spratford's work for some time, so I was thrilled when she agreed to join the podcast for a discussion centered on her new book of essays, Why I Love Horror. It's a great collection of arguments for and
books
Keith Rosson is one of the most exciting horror novelists working right now. I was blown away by his book Fever House and its sequel, The Devil By Name, so I was thrilled to learn he had a vampire novel out this year. And Coffin Moon absolutely delivers, attaching Keith&
Free to All
For all our collective focus on its transgressive setpieces and graphic violence of all kinds, this is a movie made with intention, with an artistic vision, and even if all the lines crossed within the narrative were stripped away and merely implied, it would work as a harrowing human drama.
books
I'm thrilled to have Rachel Harrison, author of horror bangers like So Thirsty, The Return, and Black Sheep, back on the podcast this week. She was one of our very first guests in one of my favorite episodes, and her return was everything I hoped for and more.
Free to All
Here's a roundup of what I wrote for the week of September 1, including lots of horror book stuff.