Talk is Cheap: The Lean Violence of Abel Ferrara’s KING OF NEW YORK (1990)

Abel Ferrara's searing crime drama, King of New York, eschews many conventions of the gangster genre as we know it to visualize the dangers of both confronting his archetypal gangster, Frank White (Christopher Walken), as well as the hazardous nature of embodying this characterization. I say "characterization" because of Ferrara's proclivity for active roles within … Continue reading Talk is Cheap: The Lean Violence of Abel Ferrara’s KING OF NEW YORK (1990) →

A Story of Color: The Evolving Palette of Zhangke Jia’s Exquisite ASH IS THE PUREST WHITE (2018)

Zhangke Jia's Ash is the Purest White is a visually and emotionally chilling film that superficially is about a crumbling romance, but at its core covers themes of identity and the progression of self-worth and congruence with Chinese society. Jia uses evolving color patterns to establish the two worlds and the digression of two people … Continue reading A Story of Color: The Evolving Palette of Zhangke Jia’s Exquisite ASH IS THE PUREST WHITE (2018) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #1 – A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

This is it....the moment we've all been waiting for! The cream of the scream! The (dream) master of disaster! The baron of burn! My 100th post on this blog and the culmination of a months long project all coincide for one momentous occasion. I hope you're all wearing your fedoras, razor gloves, and Christmas sweaters, … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #1 – A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #2 – THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) – Plus a bonus kill!

On Monday I promised you two kills for my penultimate post on this list and, dammit, you're getting two kills! But first, I have to admit something: this is becoming increasingly bittersweet. On the one hand I'm thrilled and excited to write about these entries at the top of the list; scenes that have awed … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #2 – THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) – Plus a bonus kill! →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #3 – HELLRAISER (1987)

Guys, I fucked up. Today I was writing this post and I inadvertently referenced a film that COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY FREAKING MIND! Dear God, you all deserve better than this. To make up for it, I'll be doing a #2A and #2B on Thursday. Thankfully, the scene I forgot was one I intended to rank … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #3 – HELLRAISER (1987) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #4 – THE THING (1982)

Now that we're down to the final four, things are getting tough. I've oscillated between two scenes for this spot for the better part of two weeks, and I'm sure once I hit "publish" I'll second-guess myself once again. But we're in the final weeks here and no pick is a bad pick. So, without … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #4 – THE THING (1982) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #5 – ZOMBIE (1979)

We've entered the Top 5! Repeat! Top 5, I am inside you! Whoops, didn't mean it that way (or did I? *ha-wink*) On an editorial side note, it occurred to me right around entry #10 that this countdown will conclude with my 100th post on this blog, which is totally cool and totally unplanned. It's … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #5 – ZOMBIE (1979) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #6 – PSYCHO (1960)

We're on the literal cusp of the top 5, ladies and gentlemen, and I have to say this has been pretty fun. Going into this project I basically knew which kills were going to be solidified in my top 5, but everything else was a crap-shoot. I made some additions I wasn't expecting, and I … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #6 – PSYCHO (1960) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #7 – SINISTER (2012)

Here I go again, breaking my own rules. Just as I did with Friday the 13th, I'm choosing two kills for this entry. However, this go-round the decision was not made based on the volume of films or kills, but rather on the style of the kill and the effectiveness of the scares they create. … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #7 – SINISTER (2012) →

The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #8 – MANIAC (1980)

For anyone following along, we've now reached some nastiness. I've featured many of Tom Savini's special effects on this list, but this one has extra Savini and I think you're gonna like it. Coming in as #8 on the list is William Lustig's cult horror classic, Maniac (1980). Now we're getting our hands dirty. In … Continue reading The Best Horror Movie Kills of All-Time: #8 – MANIAC (1980) →