ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 28, 2002 Awesome vampire flicks are hard to find. The last one that really blew me away was Near Dark, and that was way back in ’87. In the case of contemporary big-budget efforts, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was too grandiose for my tastes, and the pretty-boy adaptation of … Continue reading Horror review: Queen of the Damned
Horror review: The Mothman Prophecies
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 31, 2002 The Mothman Prophecies is supposedly based on a series of mysterious events that occurred in the mid-’60s in the small town of Point Pleasant, Virginia. Reports of unexplained lights in the sky, strange telephone noises, and sightings of a man-sized, mothlike entity culminated in a bridge … Continue reading Horror review: The Mothman Prophecies
Horror review: Bones
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 15, 2001 Lately, it seems as though a deluge of gory, made-in-B.C. horror flicks has been unleashed upon the moviegoing public. First to drench local screens with blood ’n’ gore was Thi13een Ghosts, the noisy and nauseating haunted-house flick that’s about as intriguing as a 90-minute Rob Zombie … Continue reading Horror review: Bones
Horror review: Thir13en Ghosts
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 1, 2001 Several times while viewing the Vancouver-shot Thir13en Ghosts, I thought to myself: “This is a complete and utter piece of crap.” But after the movie was over, I decided that glib assessment wasn’t totally called for. The film’s set piece—a sprawling haunted house built mostly of … Continue reading Horror review: Thir13en Ghosts
Horror review: The Others
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 9, 2001 When the Straight’s movie editor asked me if I wanted to review the new Nicole Kidman horror movie at a midnight screening—with free popcorn, drinks, and ice cream—I jumped at the chance. The alluring combo of late-night shocks and gratis goodies totally blinded me to the … Continue reading Horror review: The Others
Horror review: The Forsaken
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 3, 2001 A couple of months back, dedicated horror fans were slapped in the face with a mindless made-in-Vancouver slasher flick called Valentine. After suffering through that inept exercise in blood and boobs, I figured it would be a while before a fright flick so painful to sit … Continue reading Horror review: The Forsaken
Horror review: Dracula 2000
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 28, 2000 Wes Craven’s name is synonymous with horror films and—judging by the way it’s shamelessly being used to promote Dracula 2000—carries a lot of weight with the moviegoing public. As a director, Craven certainly has a few bloodstained feathers in his cap, but for every commendable Scream … Continue reading Horror review: Dracula 2000
Joe Satriani’s upcoming box set is one mighty batch o’ Satch
photo by the Newt By Steve Newton The Joe Satriani show at the Vogue last year was one of my fave gigs of 2013, no surprise since Satch has been consistently blowing me away ever since I first heard Surfing With the Alien back in the eighties. Similarly minded guitar freaks who don't already own all of Satriani's albums--or … Continue reading Joe Satriani’s upcoming box set is one mighty batch o’ Satch
Ear of Newt’s Top 30 Rock Albums of 1976
The spirit of '76 will never falter because that's the year Thin Lizzy put out two LPs instead of just one. Albums listed in alphabetical order according to title, otherwise Jailbreak would be right there at the top. I've included three song titles to help you remember how awesome the music was, and one clip to bring it … Continue reading Ear of Newt’s Top 30 Rock Albums of 1976
“Music is getting too heavy,” said Hendrix a week before his death
Here's a cool animated video that was posted on YouTube yesterday by PBS Digital Studios. It features a snippet of Jimi Hendrix's final interview, conducted by music journalist and press agent Keith Altham exactly one week before the guitar legend's drug-related death on Sept. 18, 1970. I like the part at the beginning where, after … Continue reading “Music is getting too heavy,” said Hendrix a week before his death
Horror review: The Watcher
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 14, 2000 Poor Keanu Reeves. Even though he’s starred in such blockbuster action flicks as Speed and The Matrix, he’s never been able to live down the role he was born to play: that of empty-headed California dude Bill in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Dogstar, the rock … Continue reading Horror review: The Watcher
Horror review: Bless the Child
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 17, 2000 As soon as I got home after seeing Bless the Child, I happened to check my mail and found a schedule for the Vancouver Film School’s part-time fall classes. The cover of the glossy pamphlet caught my eye because it read, in big green letters, If … Continue reading Horror review: Bless the Child
Horror review: Hollow Man
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 10, 2000 Last month’s issue of Fangoria, America’s top horror magazine, features a story on Hollow Man with a front-cover image of a grimacing human head with all the skin removed, Hellraiser-style, so that you can see all the veins and underlying tissues. As far as makeup effects … Continue reading Horror review: Hollow Man