When Serial Killer Becomes Slasher – Ivan Milat, Mick Taylor, and Wolf Creek (2005)
Since the heyday of the big four - Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Chucky - slasher movie fans have continually searched for the next great villain. That’s not to say there haven’t...
Scream Writing Questions with Andrew Bellware
This week Scriptophobic is joined by Andrew Bellware to answer some Scream Writing Questions, explore the art of screenwriting, and dig into the love of sci-fi and genre.
What first got you interested in screenwriting?
I first...
Just Hanging Around in Urban Legend (1998)
I have a confession: I didn’t always get horror.
You see, the horror genre and I have a long, sordid relationship. Sure, everything is all wine and roses now, but, like most great romances, it...
Eddie’s Transformation in Howling (1981)
Everything transforms eventually, in one way or another. But, let me back up…
While 1981 saw the release of three rather large in scope werewolf films, An American Werewolf in London, The Howling and Wolfen,...
Scream Writing Questions with David J. Stieve
This Scream Writing Questions post should have been up two years ago but somehow it managed to slip through the cracks of email, a damned shame considering that David J. Stieve wrote one of...
Toku Forgiveness
One of the greatest recurring themes in Tokusatsu is the act of forgiving oneself after contemplating your own actions or upon discovering a sin you never knew you were being complicit in. Various Ultra...
Ripping Through Reality in IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
Reality is a funny thing
It all boils down to perspective, doesn’t it? Each person builds their world-view based on what surrounds them, which in time becomes their reality. Still, even then, most seek out...
The Cinematic Faces of Ed Gein
In this week’s Serial Killer Celluloid, we’re going to cheat— just a little. Ed Gein isn’t classified as a serial killer. The man was a proper ghoul, having robbed and desecrated graves for some...
Finding Inspiration in International Art
We’re always looking for new, amazing art to inspire us. Your favorite author has a new book coming out, that experimental weirdo director you follow is working on their next film, the musician who...
Green Room (2015) Cannot Escape the Real World
Hello! After a short and much needed hiatus, Everything But Bone is back. Today I’m directing the column in a different direction, writing about a movie I don’t like. And to be honest, I...
Black Fly (2014): The Shock of Serial Murder in a Small Town
In the city, people are often scared by serial and spree killers because of the anonymity involved— amongst a large population, a multiple murderer could be anybody, anywhere. In rural areas the fear strikes...
Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century, A Canadian-Italian Kaiju Fever Dream
A few months ago we discussed Kaiju and giant monsters that have attacked Canada. In my research for the article, I missed the biggest instance of Canadian monster rampage. Yeti: Giant of the 20th...
Get Down with Godzilla: Big G’s Music Video Appearances
Godzilla has meant a lot of things to a lot of people. If his recent appearances in the realm of music videos are of any indication, the things that Godzilla can mean vary A...
The Horror of ‘the Curse’ in GINGER SNAPS (2000)
Werewolf movies are often defined by their transformation sequences. They can live and die in those handful of seconds when the human form is shed and an otherworldly monstrosity springs forth, winning or losing...
Making Sense in the Horror Genre
What is reality, anyways?
Of all the writing “rules” that the horror genre gets to play around with – see, Break – this is my favorite: Things don’t need to make sense. Now, before you...
Scream Writing Questions with B. Harrison Smith
Write, write, write. Scream Writer Harrison Smith boils down his advice until there's no fat left on the bone – just like if it were a screenplay! Today, the writer/director joins Scriptophobic to talk about...
Hellraiser: The Parable of a Sexual Woman by Vincent Bec
Hellraiser (1987, covered by Scriptophobic columnist Paul Ferrell here) is an ode to the disgusting. It is a film about the beauty of bodily ooze, and one woman’s, apparently unwavering, attraction to it. The...
Batteries Included: The Terrifying Power of Child’s Play (1988)
The TV glowed in the center of the room, reflecting the visage of a stern looking news anchor going on about something I had no doubt was very serious. Sure, I was tired, but...
Welcome to Fear Academy
Welcome to the first semester of Fear Academy, Scriptophobic's newest column. I'm editor-in-chief, Zack Long, and I'm excited to be bringing all you Scream Scholars discussions on the best, most entertaining and educational studies...
Fear Academy – Holy Horror: The Bible and Fear in Movies by Steve A....
Welcome back to another session of Fear Academy. This time around is going to be a little different, in that the book we’re looking at today is quite similar to the last one we...
Upcoming Tokusatsu and Kaiju Media in 2021
We are entering an unprecedented era of tokusatsu media. Whether it be books, movies, or TV Series, the remainder of 2021 has some huge releases on the horizon. There are a number of smaller...
Truth, Identity, and Videotapes in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Most people lie in order to get out of trouble. Even if it’s only a white lie, its purpose is usually to absolve the person telling it from responsibility or, more often than not,...
Perspective, Realism, & Fighting the Death Penalty in 10 Rillington Place (1971)
When 10 Rillington Place was released in 1971 the disturbing sting of serial killer John Reginald Christie was still lingering in the United Kingdom’s social consciousness. Only five years prior, Timothy Evans - who...
Scream Writing Questions with Chance Shirley
When it comes to horror, it's surprising just how well it meshes with comedy. Perhaps no one knows that better than Chance Shirley, writer/director on For a Few Zombies More (2015) and Hide and Creep (2004).
What...
Gun Violence, Small Town Stability and the Cauterized Wound in Out of the Blue...
America’s all but resigned itself as a nation to being rocked every week or so by new gun massacres. People who’ve seen it as a worse steady decline than ever since Sandy Hook have...