Do Literary Devices Help Us Better Understand our Halloween Experiences?

Christmas and Thanksgiving movies often hinge on the underlying stresses of families getting together and trying to have a happy, peaceful and meaningful family gathering.   It’s great tension, and story thrives on tension. But there’s also underlying tension for the Halloween experience, which is usually underutilized because it is, perhaps, just a bit too…

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Halloween: the Unintentionally Scary Holiday

Halloween parties have already begun and costumes like the sexy nurse has got me thinking about the origins of the holiday, and how far from its original purpose we have come.   A basic Wikipedia search tells it pretty well: Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday to celebrate the harvest season, possibly including pagan rituals…

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Fire or Ice? Author Stephen King’s ‘Shining’ Sequel Favors Fire

In 1977, Stephen King wasn’t STEPHEN KING (!!!) yet; he was just a promising young novelist. That’s why he recalls the many details of the morning when the much-celebrated director Stanley Kubrick called his home 36 years ago about adapting King’s novel, “The Shining.”   King has told the story a number of times to…

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Horror/Thriller: One of the Most Inventive Genres?

Now’s the time of year to appreciate the color of fall, namely – blood red!   Seriously, save the golds, browns, and evergreens for Thanksgiving, because the fact is that Tim Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas,” celebrating its 20-year anniversary, proves that Halloween comes and goes way too fast.   People love to be freaked out.…

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