Horror by Harrison

  “An accident, Dolores, can be an unhappy woman’s best friend.” Since it’s the fifth week of this month I’m covering a film that’s not horror, though horror-adjacent by virtue of the author of its source material. While potentially controversial, I’d make the argument that Dolores Claiborne is the best adaptation of a King novel. Dolores Claiborne was written by Tony Gilroy ( Michael Clayton ) and directed by Taylor Hackford ( Ray ) and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King ( The Shining ). Dolores Claiborne was made on a budget of $13 million, made $5,721,920 upon opening, and went on to make $24,361,867 worldwide. It premiered on March 24th, 1995 and received generally positive reviews from critics. Dolores Claiborne follows its titular character (Kathy Bates, Misery ) after the untimely death of her employer Vera (Judy Parfitt, David Copperfield ). When Dolores is accused of murdering her, her estranged daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Single White Fem...

  Annihilation is a horror film. This is a hill I’m willing to die on. What type of horror film it is is a little harder to pin down. It has elements of a monster, body, and psychological horror throughout. Regardless of what subgenre you place it in, Annihilation is undoubtedly horror. Annihilation was written and directed by Alex Garland ( Ex Machina ) and was based on a novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer ( Finch ) and was released on February 23rd, 2018. Annihilation was made on a budget of $40 million, made $11,071,584 upon opening, and went on to make $43,070,915 worldwide. Despite the film’s poor box office returns (largely due to terrible marketing), it received critical acclaim upon release. Annihilation follows a group of scientists who are exploring a mysterious area full of mutated plants and animals dubbed “the Shimmer”. While inside the anomaly they face threats from both the wildlife and from each other as they begin to break down psychologically. Annihilat...

  This week we’re doing things a little differently and instead of a film, I’m diving into two terrifying episodes of television. The first is The X-Files episode “Home”, an episode that takes a break from the show’s usual Sci-Fi fare for a more realistic and gruesome horror. The second is Buffy the Vampire Slayer ’s “Hush”, an episode that features one of the most terrifying monsters seen on television. Home “Home” is the second episode of the fourth season of The X-Files . It was written by Glen Morgan ( Final Destination ) and James Wong ( American Horror Story ), directed by Kim Manners ( Supernatural ), and originally aired October 11th, 1996. Despite receiving critical acclaim, the content of the episode proved controversial and it became the only episode of the show that Fox never re-aired. The episode was watched by 18.85 million viewers. “Home” sees FBI agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson, The Crown ) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny, Californication ) travelling to t...

  This movie… was weird. I’m honestly having a hard time coming up with what to say about this film. While I can’t say I particularly liked it, I also can’t say that I was ever bored during it. The Tingler was written by Robb White ( House on Haunted Hill ) and directed by William Castle ( 13 Ghosts ) and was released on August 5, 1959. The Tingler was made on a budget of approximately $400,000, though I was unable to find box office information. The Tingler received mixed reviews upon release. The Tingler follows Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price, House of Wax ) discovers a parasite that is attached to every person’s spine, which he dubs ‘the tingler’. The tingler curls around the host’s spine when they are scared, eventually crushing it. However, the host can weaken the creature by screaming. The Tingler famously employed several gimmicks during its run in theaters including “Percepto!”, which employed buzzers installed in the seats to frighten the audience during the clim...

  Flashback to Fall 2009. 17-year-old Harrison was taking a Film Studies class his senior year of high school. No one in my class had heard of the film when our teacher (also the principal) announced it for our lesson on foreign films, but it was clear almost immediately that the entire class was hooked from the very beginning. By the end of the film even the stoic football player I sat next to was in tears. The Orphanage was written by Sergio G. Sánchez ( The Impossible ) and directed by J. A. Bayona ( Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ). The Orphanage was made on a budget of $4 millions, made $233,323 upon opening, and went on to make $78,638,987 worldwide. It was released on September 10, 2007 and received positive reviews (it received a 10 minute ovation upon its premiere at Cannes).  The Orphanage follows Laura (Belén Rueda, Julia’s Eyes ) who purchases the orphanage she grew up in to reopen it as a school for children with special needs. After her adopted son Simón (Rog...