The blending of horror and comedy doesn’t make much sense on the surface. We see comedies to laugh, and we see horror films to be horrified (whether that takes the form of being scared, grossed out, or a myriad of other responses that can be reduced to a simple, “Uh…no.” I can’t speak to why hardcore horror fans also enjoy horror comedies (beyond the containing of multitudes), but as someone who isn’t a big horror fan, the horror comedy allows me to enjoy the spectacle from a safe distance of superiority and laughter. It’s schadenfreude – and definitely not because I’m a chicken. 1) The Cabin in the Woods (2012) – Where to even begin? Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s meta-commentary on the, we

In the wake of the release of critically acclaimed Professor Marsten and the Wonder Women, we wanted to offer up recommendations of some of our favorite biopics for your viewing pleasure. Shelby Cadwell Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) - This early short film from director Todd Haynes has become something of a cult classic for good reason. The film depicts the life of Karen Carpenter - including her rise to fame, her relationship with her brother and parents, and her untimely death at age 33 from heart failure (related to her long battle with anorexia) - but using Barbie dolls rather than actors. Despite the silliness of the dolls and the low production values, the film is rather

For some of us, October is the most wonderful time of the year, particularly for the best of the bad. Sometimes, there is nothing better than putting on a bad horror film for a little holiday background noise or a full-blown feature-film night. So grab some snacks as we reveal the some of the best worst films of Halloween. #1 Leprechaun (1993) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 23% Why It's Bad: To a rational adult, there is nothing even remotely scary about this movie. The titular Leprechaun is Warwick Davis, FFS. Not only is he too ridiculous to actually be a scary villain, he is so easily distracted that anyone with two IQ points to rub together could escape him. Literally all you need to do is throw

Be honest, are you a scaredy-cat? Although I love horror movies, sometimes I am. I can admit that! Like uhhh do I really want to watch this cool scary movie ALONE, or watch something a little more, ahem, family friendly so that I can sleep with ease? Oops, just admitted I’m alone a lot. Anyway, with Halloween fast approaching, the pressure to watch a bunch of horror is more prevalent than ever. It’s lucky then, for those who scare easily, that there are so many cool, imaginative movies that capture the Halloween spirit and that WON’T cause you to dream up delusional murder scenarios or result in you performing daily exorcisms—despite your family and peer’s objections. Been there, done that.

Atlanta (Season 1) – I’ve been patiently waiting for the acclaimed series by writer/actor/producer/rapper Donald Glover to show up on a streaming service. In this, Glover plays a man who returns home after leaving college. He seems to be squandering his potential, and disappointing everyone that cares about him, until he decides to manage his cousin’s promising rap career. What sounds most interesting to me are the descriptions I’ve seen of the show as having hints of magical realism, and I loved the first episode when I saw it back when the show premiered. The Orville (Season 1/currently airing) – This show baffles me. It undercuts the drama with often sophomoric jokes (which isn’t unexpect

All of us here at Kino Club 313 love horror! So, to avoid covering the same ground again and again with our listicles throughout the month of October, we decided to join forces and provide you with a couple of collective listicles in which we limit ourselves to a one sentence judgement, the first thought that came to mind. Given that some of us can be pretty long-winded, this was a bit challenging but also a bit of a riot. Be on the lookout for our next edition, the “Trailer Edition,” where we judge a horror movie we haven’t seen based solely on the trailer. Enjoy! Halloween (1978) Shelby: John Carpenter is a god and Halloween has one of the best opening sequences in horror film history. Lac

Not Your Average Zombie: Rehumanizing the Undead from Voodoo to Zombie Walks is a fascinating book that looks at zombies in popular culture, including movies, video games, and zombie walks. I sat down with the book's author, Dr. Chera Kee, to have a chat about zombies and her new book. Tristan Shaw: First off, what’s your favorite zombie movie and why? Chera Kee: That’s always a hard one. There’s a tie. Sugar Hill (1974) is a blaxploitation zombie film that is awesome because it’s a voodoo-style zombie film in an era where Romero-style cannibal zombies are starting to take over. It’s also got a strong female protagonist who basically gets revenge on the mob—who killed her boyfriend—by raisin

Matt Linton It Might Get Loud (2008) – I’ve never seen this documentary in which Jack White, Jimmy Page, and the Edge talk about music, but as fans of all three guitarists, I’ve wanted to watch it for a while. I’m sure there’s the likelihood of massive amounts of mutual ego-stroking, but it’s rock ‘n roll and they’re rock stars, so that goes with the territory. I mean, he still calls himself “the Edge.” Trading Places (1983) – Since I’ve previously recommended Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hours I might as well finish the trifecta with the third of Eddie Murphy’s great 80’s movies. This also co-stars Dan Ackroyd (when he, too, was still funny) and Jamie Lee Curtis in a great rags-to-riches and ri

Title: Mother! (2017) Genre: Horror(?) Director: Darren Aronofsky Stars (primary actors): Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer Bias: 50% of what drew me to this film was the trailer, while the other 50% was the exclamation point in the title. The former set me up for an entirely different film. Grade: D+ (immediately after leaving the theater); C+/B- (five hours later). In A Nutshell: The characters in the film are never referred to by name, and the names used on IMDb could be considered spoilers, so for the sake of clarity I’ll refer to them by the actors’ names. Lawrence and Bardem play a couple living in pleasant isolation while Bardem struggles through writer’s

Shelby Cadwell The Ring (2002) - Although American remakes of Japanese horror films rarely live up to the creepiness of the originals, The Ring proves that they can. Although, with the benefit of hindsight, I can now see how truly nonsensical the plot of this film is, I still appreciate it for doing what few other horror movies in the early 2000's could do - actually making me afraid of going to the movies. "You will die in seven days" still gives me the creeps, and probably always will. The Birdcage (1996) - A remake of the French film (based on an even earlier play) La Cage aux Folles (1978), The Birdcage features two of my all-time favorite performances: Robin Williams as the sarcastic, b