“Abstract Plain” is a song from the album Teenager of the Year by Frank Black. The lyrics describe Black’s desire to escape from the real world to an emotional oasis: “I…
All Posts By
Joseph A. Ziemba
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Short films are like Hi-Chews — bite-size flavor explosions that should be savored before moving onto the next one, and the one after that. Given the bottomless well of compelling shorts…
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AGFA + Bleeding Skull was a collaboration with our friends at the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) from 2018-22. Purchase the Scary Tales Special Edition Blu-ray here. Scary Tales proves that…
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“Halloween” and “party” are two words that describe everything I want in life. So it’s no surprise that Halloween Party is everything I want in life. It’s Halloween night! Becky’s having…
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If you have eyes and ears, Halloween: The Truth Behind the Mask is not for you. Two stoner bros wearing Baja hoodies walk around in a forest, sleep on piles of…
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Island settings have always been money in the bank for trash-horror filmmakers. Because islands have bugs, beaches, coconuts, and sunlight — everything you need to not have a good time. From…
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If you have a problem with slow movies, romance, or gorillas, this article is not for you. Before Robert Smith discovered eyeliner and The Crow became a beacon for suburban teen…
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AGFA + Bleeding Skull was a collaboration with our friends at the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) from 2018-22. Purchase the Limbo Special Edition Blu-ray here. After starring in 100 movies over…
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I couldn’t sleep after watching The Manson Family. It wasn’t because of the story of Charles Manson and his cult of murderers. I’ve read Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and listened…
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If you’ve never listened to the song “Night and Day” by Al B. Sure!, you should. With its killer hooks and camp theatrics, this song has the power to get anyone…
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There’s a scene in Blood Shack where late filmmaker Ray Dennis Steckler’s kids play musical chair. Yes, that’s “chair” and not “chairs.” Because there’s only one chair. This is a perfect…
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My cousin Brian appeared on a local Chicago television show called Kidding Around when he was in junior high. The show focused on ordinary kids doing extraordinary things. Brian’s talent was…
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I’m obsessed with DIY comic books from the 1980s and ‘90s. Like their indie film counterparts, these comics explode with crude ambition, intense passion, and blunt savagery. One of my favorite…
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I’ll watch any horror movie that features a Swami. Especially if said Swami is capable of mind reading (Son of Dracula), crystal-ball-gazing (Supernatural), or raising spirits from the dead so that…
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In ninth grade, I was failing geometry. Each problem was an impossible riddle involving points, surfaces, and other trash. My brain refused to accept it. I felt helpless and frustrated. I…
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AGFA + Bleeding Skull was a collaboration with our friends at the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) from 2018-22. Purchase The McPherson Tape Special Edition Blu-ray here. The world’s first found footage…
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In Essential Deren, experimental filmmaker Maya Deren said that the essence of her work was to, “externalize an inner world to the point where it is confounded with the external world.”…
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Humans are the worst organisms on the planet. We hate, pollute, and don’t know how to share. That’s why we knock down trees for no good reason. But sooner or later,…
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There will never be a moment in time when aliens aren’t cool. By that logic, the same goes for Tartarus. John has spent his life scamming people for large sums of…
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After watching Fuck the Devil, I was convinced that the best 40 minutes of my life were over and it was all downhill from there. Then Nightmare Feddy showed up during…