Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4557 )

• Stupid Burnt Lizard

  

  The kaiju monster film has evolved significantly, as my post on Godzilla Minus One may indicate. Monster boomers grew up with Saturday afternoon kaiju,... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Things About Pennsylvania

  

  When I used to pick up my daughter from college in upstate New York, we’d sometimes come up with ways to keep the conversation going for the three-to-four... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Teaching Horror

  

  Critics who complain that Aislinn Clarke’s The Devil’s Doorway has nothing new really have no appreciation for parables. An Irish found-footage film, The Devil’... Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Second One

  

  Twice in a week.  I heard (actually read) a term I’d never encountered before.  It’s one of those rare beasts—an “academic meme. Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Prey Again

  

  Let’s begin with the title. Final Prayer was released in the United States as Borderlands. I still found it on a free streaming service under its UK title, and... Read more

  Posted on 09 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• In Sheep’s Clothing

  

  Evangelicals supporting Trump must experience some cognitive dissonance when they read Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of their heroes. Read more

  Posted on 08 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Plus One

  

  When one of your oldest friends suggests a movie, it’s a good idea to watch it. I began watching Godzilla movies when I was quite young but I stopped after... Read more

  Posted on 07 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Return to the House

  

  I’ve read Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House before. It might’ve been before I started this blog, or it might’ve been before I started writing about... Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Paw

  

  Okay, in the spirit of my epiphany that commenting may apply to short stories as well as to collections, I thought I’d muse on W. W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw. Read more

  Posted on 05 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ride the Ghost

  

  There’s a book in this, for some enterprising person. You see, I watched Ghost Rider because I felt I had too. I’m not familiar with the Marvel comic on which... Read more

  Posted on 04 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Grotesque and Arabesque

  

  My last post about Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque led a couple of readers pointing me to places where the missing tale (“The... Read more

  Posted on 03 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Unique?

  

  Is it embarrassing, or simply confirmation?  It used to be considered embarrassing to show up at an event dressed identically to someone else, if it wasn’t... Read more

  Posted on 02 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dangerous Dreams

  

  A friend wondered what I might make of Dream Scenario. As much as I like movies I can’t keep up, what with a 9-2-5 job and writing my own books. I’m really glad... Read more

  Posted on 01 September 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Whole Books

  

  One of the many peculiarities of my thought process is that I’ve tried to discuss only “whole pieces” on this blog.  In other words, as a “consumer” of media, m... Read more

  Posted on 31 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• One out of Three

  

  While reading about Dan Curtis, I became curious about Trilogy of Terror. As a child subject to nightmares, my “horror” watching was limited to Saturday... Read more

  Posted on 30 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Is That Cookie Free?

  

  I offer free editorial advice here, from time to time.  Not many academics, I expect, pay any notice—what have they to learn from a mere editor?  Still, it’s a... Read more

  Posted on 29 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Terrible Comedy

  

  Frankly, I expected better. The Comedy of Terrors seemed to have a lot going for it. With my current interests in American International (AIP), Vincent Price,... Read more

  Posted on 28 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Under Construction

  

  It’s fascinating, watching a book taking shape.  Just yesterday I noticed Sleepy Hollow as American Myth is now up on McFarland’s website. And yes, it’s on... Read more

  Posted on 27 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Finding Poe

  

  A gift a friend gave me started me on an adventure.  The gift was a nice edition of Poe stories.  It’s divided up according to different collections, one being... Read more

  Posted on 26 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Free Word

  

  “Anything free is worth saving up for.”  That’s a line from one of my favorite movies of all time.   Free, though, can mean many things.  The “free cookie” is... Read more

  Posted on 25 August 2024 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY