Monthly Archives: October 2009

Joseph Laycock: The Exorcist, Secularization, and Folk Piety

Joseph Laycock is an independent scholar and doctoral candidate at Boston University, and author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism (Praeger, 2009) who was interviewed here in the recent past on this book. He has returned to discuss a paper he submitted to the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion titled “The Folk Piety […]

H. R. Giger as Digital Magician of Dark Archetypes

You never know where the fantastic in pop culture will surface, and where religion and the fantastic will intersect. I have been doing some research lately for a couple of essays on Neopaganism I need to write for a book on world religions. Today I looked at Magic and Witchcraft by Nevil Drury (Thomas & […]

Coming Attractions

I continue to enjoy putting together the posts and content that becomes the exploration of the fantastic in pop culture that is TheoFantastique. With this post I let readers know about “coming attractions,” beyond my own commentary the topics and individuals I will be talking with and about on this fantastic journey. In no particular […]

Karin Beeler: Seers, Witches and Psychics on Screen

Another book that touches on the psychic realm caught my eye when thumbing through the catalog by McFarland. It is Seers, Witches and Psychics on Screen by Karin Beeler (McFarland, 2008). Beeler is an associate professor in the English department and Acting Director for the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology at the University of […]

The Box

THE BOX: Movie Trailer I’ve seen a trailer for a movie, The Box, that looks intriguing that I’ll pass along here. Following is the plot summary fromt the Internet Movie Database: Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable […]

The Old West Meets the Undead: PCA/ACA Call for Papers

The combination of certain genres don’t work for me. In this case the Old West connecting with horror, specifically in the form of cowboys combined with zombies, vampires, and other horror icons, but apparently they work for some people and have become the focus of academic consideration. Following is a call for papers from the […]

October Shadows Halloween Art Show: Updated

Gallery Nucleus and Creature Features presents: October Shadows, Saturday, October 10. For the past two years, October Shadows has been known as Creature Features’ annual homage to the Halloween spirit. The exhibit and book by the same name will feature a prestigious group of artists from all facets of fine art, illustration, comics, film, TV, and animation, […]

ZOMBIELAND: Great Comedy-Horror, and a Little Bit More

Last weekend Zombieland hit theaters in its debut and went on to defy a recession diminished box office, and in the process earned critical praise. This comedy (which also includes elements of road-horror, teenage angst, and coming of age films) takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a mutation of the swine flu virus has turned […]

Paul Meehan: Cinema of the Psychic Realm

Paul Meehan is one of my favorite writers dealing with the fantastic in pop culture. He is the author of a number of books, including Saucer Movies: A UFOlogical History of the Cinema (Scarecrow Press, 1998) which he discussed here in a previous interview, Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir (McFarland, 2008), […]

“Midnight Dance” Animation: An Interpretation of Danse Macabre

As readers are aware, this blog is devoted to the exploration and enjoyment of various facets of the fantastic in pop culture. Most of the time I pursue in-depth exploration, and through this receive a level of enjoyment. Hopefully my readers do to0. But with this post analysis steps aside in order to enjoy a great […]

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