One of the things horror does is touch on topics that make us uneasy and show us things that could possibly happen.  The best ones work when there is a history of such things happening in real life... The small town of Powellton is a quite town where everyone knows pretty much everyone.  The sort of place where a couple like Steve and Felicia McKenzie could settle down and raise a family in relative safety and comfort.  At least until the animals start acting funny, adults start getting headaches, and the children come down with a flu.  Soon, the idealic town of Powellton will be thrust into a hurricane... a hurricane of rain and wind... and unspeakable rage... " Shadow Play " is one of those books that carries you along as its characters try to deal with the growing chaos around them.  The writing style is smooth, and fluid- while being plain speaking at the same time.  It  doesn't waste your time with useless details or red herrings.  Ever...

We all have neighbours that are a little peculiar, right?  Well... some are a little more "peculiar" than others... Marilyn had what she thought was the ideal life:  loving husband and child, and a house decorated with only the finest antiques you could find.  The day that parapalegic Christine and her husband moved in next door, things started to go wrong with her orderly, perfect world.  Soon, Marilyn would find herself confronted by a hate so powerful that it reached from her past to close in on her and her "perfect" life ... The back of " The Woman Next Door " sounded interesting- and I'm always looking for interesting books in the horror genre, so I bought this one hoping to enjoy a quiet night of eerie, creeping horror. While there are moments that I liked in this book, I was ultimately disappointed in it.  The writing style isn't bad- it flows nicely and was capable of creating a decent sense of mood and atmosphere.  The premise and...

I love horrror films that have a strong story, character development, a dark sense of humour... and gore. Gabriel Verlaine and his commune are brutally murdered in a single night- leaving no clue as to who butchered eleven people.  A few years later, the only survivor, Rebecca Verlaine comes out of a coma with no memory of that horrific night.  Soon however, she starts to have disturbing visitations from her father... and finds herself a tool of his revenge... " The Haunting of Rebecca Verlaine " (aka- " The Garden of Love ") starts off the horror during the opening sequence with lots of gore.  Director Olaf Ittenbach is known for his splatter gore... and he definately splatters the red stuff in the first scene.  It is an incredibly well shot sequence, with any editing done seamlessly.  It flowed smoothly and quickly.  The lighting was just amazing as were the camera angles used.  Just a stunning display of horror film making.  The gore was ...

When it comes to games, I enjoy the creepy ones that focus on the mood, and feeling of tension, mystery, and approaching dread.  Combine that with a decent storyline, and I tend to really enjoy them. You've stopped into Barrow Hill, near Cornwall, England and find unrest amongst the community due to something that an archeological dig has discovered.  Soon, the community seems to have disappeared, and you're forced to investigate and confront a ancient force that threatens to destroy you and the town completely... Shadow Tor Studios brings us a good game in " Barrow Hill ".  The graphics are great in the mood and atmosphere created.  While playing this in a darkened room, and going from game area to game area, I felt utterly alone and isolated in the environment on the screen.  The sound just added to this sense of being by yourself and evading some shadowy shape in the corners of the room.  While many point and click adventures use 2-D paintin...

I don't think a true fan of the horror genre would neglect to appreciate the historical development of horror in literature as it grew from simple folklore in the form of fairy tales (let's face it- Grimms' Fairy Tales are downright scary in their original forms) to a stories specifically created to entertain in the form of books.  One of these such tales is, " Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus ". Victor Frankenstein has been obsessed since childhood with the desire to discover the secret of Life.  After having used parts disected from human corpses... and possibly animal as well, he is finally ready to test his theories and attempt to bring his creation to life.  As he looks upon his creature, the reality of what he's done horrifies him- causing him to abandon his creation and flee.  Racked with anger, Frankenstein's creation begins a campaign of terror against his creator... and dogs his every step to the ends of the earth. Those that are fans...

Cult classics are great films- and the horror genre is filled with them.  They usually use their humour and off-beat storyline to attract a following... sometimes with good cause. Room mates, Alister, Larnell, Bachman, and Brett order a bong advertised as being "possessed," thinking it'd be cool.  Soon after its arrival, the four discover that this bong is more than it seems... and party time may go up in smoke... I got this as part of an 8-pack horror movie set, and wasn't really expecting a whole lot from it.  I mainly wanted to see it because I curious about how they'd go about it... and because Tommy Chong- of Cheech & Chong fame was in it.  I can see, though why it's got the cult status it does. The movie itself is fairly immature, as are the jokes.  The acting, and the camerawork remind me of some of the sort of stuff you'd find in a porno movie (ditto for the sets).  The whole movie kinda seems to be an excuse for pot jokes, and boobies....

Over the course of the past year, I reviewed three movies starring Bela Lugosi, which caught the attention of one of the many Lugosi fans floating around the internet.  This fellow's name is @BelaLugosi , and on his recommendation, I decided to sit down last night, and watch " Scared to Death " from 1947.  This movie is especially notable since it's the ONLY movie Lugosi did that was in colour. Laura Van Ee is convinced that her husband- who has asked for a divorce, and his father are trying to drive her insane.  The appearance of Professor Leonide, a hypnotist with a mysterious connection to Doctor Van Ee only compounds the sinister atmosphere surrounding Laura as death creeps closer and closer to her... I always enjoy watching older films.  They tend to be rather imaginative and innovative in how they tell their stories due to lower budgets, tighter censorship, and more "primitive" technology.  Even in the bad ones, I try to find something positive ...

I've been wanting to add some game reviews to " The Corner of Terror " for awhile now, but didn't think I had enough horror/supernatural themed games in my collection.  Besides, I had my hands full over the past year with doing movies and books.  Well, I finally decided to add games to the list of things to talk about... and I don't think you can get any more horrifying or eerier than going against the serial killer that all others are measured against... Jack the Ripper... " Jack the Ripper " was developed by Galilea Games , and released by The Adventure Company in 2003.  The game features you as a New York reporter who is on the trail of a killer whose modus operandi is the same as infamous killer who disappeared thirteen years previously. This game is a simple point and click adventure, and is very easy to play.  The graphics are pretty good, and the cut scenes are well scripted and shot.  One reason I like point and click adventures is that t...

Today marks the beginning of a new year... in fact, it marks the beginning of the last year according to the Mayan Calendar.  I'll have to remember to stock up on beer for it. Anyways, as those of you that actually keep track of this blog probably noticed, I stopped posting just after Halloween.  My life had just gone through a bit of a change around that time in that I had just gotten a job that had working alternating shifts that pretty much screwed up my sleep patterns.  If I wasn't working, I was pretty much sleeping.  I simply didn't have the time- or the energy to post my reviews here... nor was I able to do the Twitter commentary for my friends at "Film Reviews From the Basement" during their radio broadcasts.  Hell, I haven't watched a horror movie since Halloween. It really sucked. Well, 2012 has been marked by another change in my life- I got laid off.  On one hand, it bites since I no longer have a steady pay cheque, and some of the thin...