The Horror! The Horror!: Controversial Horror Comics of the 1950s
“THIS BOOK CONTAINS: MURDER! MAYHEM! ROBBERY! RAPE! CANNIBALISM! CARNAGE! NECROPHILIA! SEX! SADISM! MASOCHISM … and virtually every other form of crime, degeneracy, bestiality, and horror!” The words above appear in a report from the mid-1950s titled “Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency” from the Committee on the Judiciary’s investigation of juvenile delinquency in the United States. […]
My Best Friend is a Wookie: One Boy’s Journey to Find His Place in the Galaxy
Being a person on a lifelong journey with the fantastic I am always interested in the similar journeys of others. One day while following the book promotion of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf I was pleased to hear of another writer who chronicled a similar journey. Tony Pacitti describes his story in […]
2011’s “Battle: Los Angeles” Expands 1942 UFO Military Incident
In the 1950s horror films changed course from the supernatural, the Gothic, and from the mad scientist cautionary tale to expressions of cultural fears of communism and cultural conformity through the metaphor of alien invasion. In the 21st century alien invasion continues to be a popular venue for the expression of our collective fears, but […]
News of the Fantastic – November 13, 2010
Various news items touching on the fantastic from the preceding week, published previously on my Facebook page and via Twitter. Sigourney Weaver on AVATAR ireport.cnn.com An interview with Sigourney Weaver where she discusses the impact of the environmentalism of Avatar on herself and viewers. Del Toro’s “The Devil’s Backbone”: horror with heart » The Pioneer […]
Aaaaah!! Indie Horror Hits Volume 2: Another Great Collection from Crypt Club Productions
I am a fan of good horror, and many times it is difficult to find. But when Hollywood productions fail we can often look to independent horror to satisfy. That is certainly the case with Aaaaah!! Indie Horror Hits Volume 2 produced by Crypt Club Productions Inc. Their website provides a synopsis for this collection: […]
On the 50th Anniversary of The Twilight Zone’s “The Eye of the Beholder”
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of “The Eye of the Beholder,” the quintessential episode of the legendary TV series The Twilight Zone, created by Rod Serling, on Thursday, November 11th, 7-9 PM, screened with THE TWILIGHT ZONE FOREVER, a live multimedia presentation by Arlen Schumer, author of Chronicle Books’ VISIONS FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Written by […]
Thomas M. Sipos – Horror Film Aesthetics: The Visual Language of Fear (Part 2)
With this post we continue and conclude our interview with Thomas M. Sipos, author of Horror film Aesthetics: The Visual Language of Fear (McFarland, 2010). Part 1 can be read here. TheoFantastique: To continue our discussion of definitions, how do you propose readers of film sort out confusing overlaps between horror and science fiction, perhaps […]
Thomas M. Sipos – Horror Film Aesthetics: The Visual Language of Fear (Part 1)
Thomas M. Sipos has worked as a script reader, actor or extra on more than 70 productions and has contributed to Filmfax, Midnight Marquee and other magazines. He is the author of a number of books, including Horror film Aesthetics: The Visual Language of Fear (McFarland, 2010) and maintains the blog of the same name. […]
Reflections on The Walking Dead
The television series The Walking Dead premiered last Sunday, Halloween night, and I thought before the second episode this weekend I’d share a few reflections. Given my interests and the social venues and media circles I travel in it was difficult not to become aware of this series. AMC did a masterful job of tapping […]
News of the Fantastic – November 5, 2010
This post represents a new regular feature for TheoFantastique that will include significant news items on at least a weekly basis depending upon the quantity and quality of news for a given period. We hope you find this information helpful as you keep in touch with aspects of the fantastic in popular culture. Life After […]
