TheoFantastique Welcomes Spring
Although Fall is my favorite time of year with the change of seasons and Halloween, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the first day of Spring. TheoFantastique welcomes the new season with an image called “Zombie Garden,” discovered at Zombie Info, but created by Shirt Woot where this design is available on a […]
Joshua Bellin: Battle for Terra and Environmental Apocalypse
With all the national debate over healthcare in the United States these days it’s easy to forget the other national debate that will begin once the furor over healthcare legislation dies down, and that is the environment with cap-and-trade. Hollywood is fond of environmental apocalypse films these days, and while the reader is no doubt […]
Avatar, Hollywood, and Warring Worldviews
In my previous post I commented on Hollywood’s lack of public recognition of the significance of films of the fantastic as demonstrated through the Academy Awards. Although three such genre films were nominated, including District Nine, Star Trek, and Avatar, predictably none of them won in major categories, and Avatar did not win Best Picture. […]
Oscars Snub the Fantastic
It was just last month that the media took note of Hollywood’s recognition of the significance of science fiction with the nominations of Avatar, Star Trek, and District 9 for Academy Awards. In an article titled “Otherworldly and Oscar-worthy: Science fiction’s profile soars,” USA Today writes, quoting Vivian Sobchak, author of Screening Space: The American […]
Review and Commentary: Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks
Not long ago while I was reflecting on the layers of significance underlying Avatar and its connection to fantasy, I first became aware, through Cinefantastique Online, of an article by Ethan Gilsdorf touching on these topics which he had written for Psychology Today. I was intrigued by the insights that Gilsdorf brought to the subject […]
Clash of the Titans Remake: Contrasting CGI Creatures with Stop-Motion Artistry
Some of my favorite and formative influences of the fantastic as a child and teenager were the fantasy films of Ray Harryhausen. I was so taken by Harryhausen’s use of stop-motion animation to bring creatures to life that I saved my paper route money and purchased an 8mm camera with single frame capacity that allowed […]
Louis Proud – Dark Intrusions: An Investigation into the Paranormal Nature of Sleep Paralysis Experiences
Over the last several weeks I have explored various facets of the Old Hag or sleep paralysis phenomenon. With this installment I interview Louis Proud, author of Dark Intrusions: An Investigation into the Paranormal Nature of Sleep Paralysis Experiences (Anomalist Books, 2009). TheoFantastique: Louis, thank you for the opportunity to explore sleep paralysis once again. […]
Computer Animated Zombie Apocalypse in A.D.
What do you get when Pixar-style animation meets zombie apocalypse? A great looking piece of computer animation like A.D. This is a trailer for a promised longer film by creator Haylor Garcia. An interview with those who are working on this film can be found here at the Zombie Info website. If the completed film […]
Christians and Vampire Mythology
With the success of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series of books, and the subsequent films, at least in the minds of some in popular culture, it is only natural that others would want to cash in on religiously-infused vampire literature. Meyer incorporated aspects of her Mormon faith in her novels, and now evangelicals are incorporating their […]
The Crazies: Art Imitates Life in the Fractured American Dream
The Crazies, a remake of George Romero’s 1973 horror film of the same name, is set to open February 26. The film’s website describes it as follows: A husband and wife in a small Midwestern town find themselves battling for survival as their friends and family descend into madness in The Crazies. A mysterious toxin […]
