ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 15, 2021 By Steve Newton Back in 2005 I interviewed Kier-La Janisse at Black Dog Video, the Vancouver specialty-video shop she'd worked at for several years. At the time Janisse was curating her seventh and final installment of the CineMuerte Film Festival, which took place at the Pacific Cinématheque (now just … Continue reading Filmmaker Kier-La Janisse lays out the history of folk horror
Category: fearmongers
Bestselling thriller novelist Linwood Barclay says Ross Macdonald is still his favourite writer
By Steve Newton Before he became an internationally bestselling thriller writer, Linwood Barclay spent many years in the journalistic trenches, first at the Peterborough Examiner and then at the Toronto Star, where he held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, Life section editor, and humour columnist. He figures that experience helped shape his future as an … Continue reading Bestselling thriller novelist Linwood Barclay says Ross Macdonald is still his favourite writer
Horror director Gigi Saul Guerrero strives to make movies that can follow you home
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 26, 2021 By Steve Newton Gigi Saul Guerrero remembers well the day she truly embraced her love of horror. She grew up in Mexico City in a very religious family, and was never allowed to watch scary movies—her strict Catholic mom banned them from the house. But during one particular trip to … Continue reading Horror director Gigi Saul Guerrero strives to make movies that can follow you home
Clive Barker on making movies, writing books, and the state of horror in 1988
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 23, 1988 By Steve Newton Horror is big stuff nowadays. Why, just flick your TV on any night and chances are you'll come across War of the Worlds, Monsters, Tales from the Dark Side, or Freddy's Nightmares. Walk into most any video store and you just might find … Continue reading Clive Barker on making movies, writing books, and the state of horror in 1988
Horror superstar Clive Barker on having the world by the balls at 35
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 13, 1987 By Steve Newton What scares you? Spiders? Sharp knives? The dentist? The threat of nuclear holocaust? Count me in on all the above, and add another: Clive Barker's writing. Like Count Floyd used to say: "It's scary stuff, kids!" At 35, Clive Barker is being touted … Continue reading Horror superstar Clive Barker on having the world by the balls at 35
Terror titan Wes Craven on the horrors of family and being cast in the role of the scary guy
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 7, 1991 By Steve Newton “Where do you get your ideas from?” Horror director Wes Craven must have heard that question a thousand times. It seems that everybody wants to know how he came up with the character of Freddy Kreuger, or how he was able to withstand … Continue reading Terror titan Wes Craven on the horrors of family and being cast in the role of the scary guy
Spider dreams and the new American Horror Story Season 6 poster
By Steve Newton I've got an intense fear of spiders. Not small ones--or even bigger ones as long as they're of the "daddylonglegs" variety. No, it's the dark, hairy, menacing ones, the ones we used to call "wolf spiders", that would hang out in our Chilliwack basement when I was a kid. "They're a lot … Continue reading Spider dreams and the new American Horror Story Season 6 poster
Tim Curry talks Pennywise on the set of Stephen King’s It: an Ear of Newt audio exclusive
By Steve Newton Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise, the evil clown in Stephen King's It, has long been hailed as a major achievement in the realm of horror. Curry nailed it, most would agree. As the Vancouver correspondent for Fangoria magazine back in 1990, when the TV miniseries was shot, I got to go on … Continue reading Tim Curry talks Pennywise on the set of Stephen King’s It: an Ear of Newt audio exclusive
Koontz on King: Dean Koontz on his fave Stephen King film and the Maine-man’s contribution to horror
By Steve Newton Way back in 1988 I did a phone interview with Dean Koontz for a story I was writing on the film adaptation of his novel Watchers for Fangoria magazine. Watchers was an awesome book--especially if you like golden retrievers--but the movie, starring Corey Haim, turned out to be a piece of doggie … Continue reading Koontz on King: Dean Koontz on his fave Stephen King film and the Maine-man’s contribution to horror
Stephen King compares Donald Trump to his demagogue villain from The Dead Zone
By Steve Newton Stephen King is not only one of my fave alltime writers--right up there with Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, and Joe R. Lansdale--he's also a fun guy to follow on Twitter. And lately he's been cleverly putting the boots to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump--who King currently refers to as He Who Must Not Be … Continue reading Stephen King compares Donald Trump to his demagogue villain from The Dead Zone
Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap Collins and Leonard Pine headed to TV
Just heard some great news in a tweet from one of my fave authors, hardboiled Texas mystery/suspense ace Joe R. Lansdale. He's the guy who wrote the story that became one of my fave all-time horror flicks, Bubba Ho-Tep. Turns out two of my fave characters of his--Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, from the Hap and Leonard … Continue reading Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap Collins and Leonard Pine headed to TV
Canadian Horror Show in Vancouver features icky Michael Ironside
The last time the Georgia Straight chatted with Vince D'Amato, back in the fall of 2003, he was busy overseeing the gruesome torture of his fiancée at his mom’s house in Burnaby. D’Amato was directing an extremely low-budget ($3,000) horror flick called Human Nature, and his bride-to-be, Nicole Hancock, portrayed an unfortunate victim. That set visit turned into … Continue reading Canadian Horror Show in Vancouver features icky Michael Ironside
Oculus director to adapt Stephen King’s kinky psych-horror Gerald’s Game
Word out of the Cannes Film Festival is that Oculus director Mike Flanagan will helm an adaptation of Stephen King's 1992 novel, Gerald's Game, about a woman who fights to survive after a bondage game with her husband goes horribly wrong. Gerald's Game was the followup to King's 1991 behemoth, Needful Things, which--at 690 pages--was nearly … Continue reading Oculus director to adapt Stephen King’s kinky psych-horror Gerald’s Game