Monthly Archives: May 2009

Valley of the Dead: Kim Paffenroth Book Combines Classic Literature and Zombie Apocalypse

My friend and fellow LOTTD member, Kim Paffenroth, is about to release his latest contribution to zombie apocalyptic literature in pop culture through the book, Valley of the Dead. The synopsis is as follows: “For seventeen years of his life, the whereabouts of the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri is unknown to modern scholars. All we know […]

WIRED Interview with Guillermo del Toro: Fantasy, Horror and the Future of Film

A friend who is aware of my passion for the fantastic, and that Guillermo del Toro is one of my heroes in this field, passed along a link to a recent article and brief interview with the film director. The article appears in WIRED MAGAZINE 17.06 from May 22, 2009. The piece is by Scott Brown, […]

Terminator Salvation: Franchise Rebooted

Last night I had the opportunity to watch the latest installment in the Terminator film franchise, Terminator Salvation. The comments that follow represent some of my reflections on the film which touch on aspects of the storyline that those who have not yet seen the film may wish to avoid. First, my overall impression. At […]

Paul Meehan – SAUCER MOVIES: A UFOlogical History of the Cinema

For decades popular culture has experienced and enjoyed two related phenomena, that of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), along with alleged alien visitation, as well science fiction films that feature flying saucers and their occupants. Indeed, as author Paul Meehan has noted, “[s]aucer movies are a distinct subgenre of science fiction film, and perhaps should constitute a […]

Terminator Salvation: Apocalypse and Transhumanism

Will the new TERMINATOR explore apocalyptic anxiety regarding technology and nuclear annihilation in a new way? In my recent article for Cinefantastique Online I explore the changing face of apocalyptic myth and then suggest ways in which this might be explored in the soon-to-be-released TERMINATOR SALVATION. Below are excerpts from the article which can be read […]

Star Trek 2.0 – Does It Work?

Tonight my wife and I took in the latest entry in the Star Trek franchise, an attempt by Paramount Pictures to rebirth and reinvigorate a long running classic in television and cinematic science fiction. Previously I had seen the trailers for the film on television and had mixed feelings in connection with the possibility of […]

Horror and Christianity – Continued Questions of Compatibility

I didn’t know my posted commentary would lead to a lively discussion in the blogosphere and on the broader Internet, but this seems to be the case. Over a year ago I started TheoFantastique as a way in which to express my appreciation for the fantastic, to probe in depth the various genres that make […]

Carrol L. Fry – Cinema of the Occult: New Age, Satanism, Wicca, and Spiritualism in Film

Various aspects of the occult, or as it is more commonly referred to today in academic circles, Western esotericism, have long been facets that have informed storytelling and fear in horror films. A recent book by Carrol Fry touches on this topic, titled Cinema of the Occult: New Age, Satanism, Wicca and Spiritualism in Film (Rosemont […]

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