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 […]
And the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, or at Least Lead Pop Culture
When I grew up in the 1970s I had to work hard to nurture my love for the fantastic, my ever-present “inner geek,” if you will. In those days I was too young early on to be able to see the few films of the fantastic in the theaters, and like everyone else my family only had […]
Resident Evil 5: Homicide with Impunity, and Racism?
I still remember the first time I encountered the Resident Evil series of videogames. It wasn’t until Resident Evil 2, and it was on my Sony Playstation, both of which still sit in my living room beckoning me for an encounter with the undead. My family’s appreciation of this series continues to the present day […]
CSI: Astro Quest Parody and Homage
Last night’s episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation titled “A Space Oddity,” provided another example of why it is one of the best programs on television, and why CSI is the best of the three programs in the CSI franchise. Unlike CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, CSI incorporates a spectrum of approaches to crime […]
The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies
Readers should note that in my right hand columns for this blog I include a number of helpful links in two categories, those that provide an opportunity to enjoy the fantastic, and those that help explore the fantastic in greater depth. In the latter category, one of the sites I especially enjoy is The Irish […]
New David Wellington Vampire Book – 23 Hours: A Vengeful Vampire Tale
David Wellington, author of three previous vampire novels as part of the Laura Caxton series, including 13 Bullets, 99 Coffins, and Vampire Zero, is about to release the latest in his series with 23 Hours: A Vengeful Vampire Tale (Three Rivers Press, 2009). The press release for the forthcoming book describes its storyline: After killing […]
Disney Pixar’s UP: Art’s Tension with Profit Potential
              The business section of today’s The New York Times includes an article of interest to TheoFantastique. The story by Brooks Barnes is titled “Pixar’s Art Leaves Profit Watchers Edgy,” and it describes an unfortunate situation. As the article notes, Pixar Animation has […]
Darryl Jones on Thematic Horror
Darryl Jones teaches at the School of English at Trinity College Dublin. He is the author of Horror: A Thematic History in Fiction and Film (A. Hodder Arnold, 2003). After several weeks of trying to connect we were finally able to get together to explore some of the topics covered in this fine book. TheoFantastique: […]
