Instantly recognizable mask and costume? Tragic backstory? Iconic gimmick? All of these attributes describe some of cinema’s greatest slashers, folks like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and, of course, Ghostface, back in cinemas in this year’s Scream. But before Black Christmas, Italian gialli, and even Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, those were the attributes of comic book bad […]
Author: Joseph George
‘The Suicide Squad’: Six Strange Tales of Starro the Conqueror from the World of Comics
If you’re not a comic book reader, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the climax of The Suicide Squad is just more James Gunn silliness. After all, the writer/director has been blending gore, goofiness, and genuine emotion since his early days at Troma. But Starro the Conqueror, the giant starfish who dispatches mind-controlling drones, isn’t […]
“Listening is Where the Love Begins”: The Power of Kindness in ‘Werewolves Within’
Werewolves Within begins in darkness, as the sounds of howling wind and menacing strings accompany a black screen. Slowly, white text fades into view, each line shivering alone for a moment before the next forms. “Listening is where the love begins,” declares the first line, followed by the second, “Listening to ourselves.” The third line […]