Browsing Category

Dawn Keetley

Posted on January 11, 2017

Why Don’t Breathe is Way Better Than Conjuring 2

Dawn Keetley

I finally got around to watching two films that kept turning up on the best horror of 2016 lists—and while I could not agree more that Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe belongs at the top of that list, James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 shouldn’t even be up for consideration.

The only things that really excited me about Conjuring 2 were the mid-1970s English setting of the film, which felt very authentic—the clothes, the school satchels, the cars, the music, the posters of Starsky and Hutch—and the genuinely creepy nun (and, sure enough, there’s a spin-off called The Nun in the works; doesn’t anyone remember how horrible Annabelle was?). Aside from that, Conjuring 2 was a huge disappointment, and not least because it served up exactly the same plot as The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013).

Read more

Posted on December 30, 2016

THE TOP 10 HORROR FILMS OF 2016

Dawn Keetley

2016 has been a bad year in so many ways (there’s even been a horror movie made about it!) but there were some fantastic horror films released this year—and here’s our top ten. These are all terrifying films, but thought provoking at the same time. So I don’t get repetitious, let me say from the beginning that all ten of these films are superbly acted and directed. And if there’s one of them you haven’t seen yet, make it a new year’s resolution!

Read more

Posted on December 24, 2016

Jacques Tourneur’s Curse of the Demon: Horror and the Persistence of Evil

Dawn Keetley

Partaking in the long tradition of reading ghost stories at Christmas, I’ve recently been immersed in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century supernatural tales of M. R. James. One of my favorites is “Casting the Runes,” published in 1911, about a strangely cursed parchment of runic characters that occultist Karswell passes to his enemies and rivals, ensuring their death in three months unless they are able to pass the paper on. (The central plot device really reminded me of Gore Verbinski’s The Ring—but that’s another post!) James’s “Casting the Runes” has been adapted for television on several occasions, but it was, most famously, made into a 1957 film directed by Jacques Tourneur, called The Night of the Demon (in the UK) and The Curse of the Demon (in the US, where a shortened version was released). The film is flawed, to be sure, but it has some wonderful moments, including two scenes (one of which opens the film) shot at Stonehenge—a Stonehenge before all the barricades, parking lots, gift shops, and tourists. Read more

Posted on December 21, 2016

Women in Horror Film Festival to Hit Atlanta Next Fall

Dawn Keetley

We’ve been excited to learn that producers of the film Rainy Season, based on the story by Stephen King, are launching a one-of-a-kind film festival in Atlanta in the fall of 2017.

The Women in Horror Film Festival will be dedicated to showcasing and honoring women within the horror genre. They will be welcoming filmmakers and writers from around the world for three days on independent film screenings, industry workshops, and frightening fun!

They will be accepting submissions for films and screenplays through Film Freeway beginning January 1, 2017.

Spots are still available for sponsors and vendors, as well as advertising opportunities.

If you would like to be apply to be a judge or volunteer for the fest, you can send an inquiry to WIHfilmfest@gmail.com.

For more information, please visit their website or on Facebook and Twitter.

Back to top