Welcome to another chapter in my on-going quest to read a ton of horror novels that are supposed to be good. In this entry, I’ve got a gory slice of teen lit terror, an imaginative collection of tales inspired by Caribbean folklore, a genre-defining vampire classic, an intense modern take on demon possession and a…
Vinland Saga (Season 1) Complete Collection Blu-ray Review
On August 31, 2021, Sentai Filmworks unveiled on blu-ray the first season of the critically acclaimed viking epic Vinland Saga. Grab an axe and a pint of ale and join me on a bloody crusade of vengeance! The Plot: A young boy named Thorfinn lives his days in peace in a small village outside the…
Ben Reads the Horror Classics: Terror in 3D
This time on Ben Reads the Horror Classics, I tackle a classic of absurdist existentialism, an epic 19th century tale amidst the Spanish Inquisition, an imaginative graphic novel on xenophobia, a hybrid of historical fiction and Arctic horror that will leave you chilled to the bone and a seminal anthology by some of the most…
Girls und Panzer das Finale Part 1 Review
On September 24, 2001, Sentai Filmworks released this latest release in the ever-expansive Girls und Panzer anime series. Touted as the beginning of the end, how does it measure up? Let’s find out! The Plot: Momo Kawashima has failed her University entrance exams and is worried about having to repeat a year. To help her…
Ben Reads the Horror Classics: Snatching Bodies and Jack the Ripper Conspiracy Theories
This time on Ben Reads the Horror Classics, I’ll be covering a sci-fi horror classic of small town paranoia, a couple of shorter works in Black Horror Fiction, a fun Lovecraftian send-up of Scooby Doo, a haunting disintegration of a ’60s psych folk band and a legendary graphic novel from a master of the form….
Magical Girl Site: Complete Collection Review
The Plot: Aya Asagiri is bullied and beaten at school and abused at home by her own sociopathic brother. When she stumbles across a mysterious website promising to make her a magical girl, it provides just enough incentive to continue moving forward, especially when she finds a weird heart-shaped gun in her locker the next…
Ben Reads The Horror Classics: Gothic Hauntings and Grim Realities
This time I dig into classic turn-of-the-century ghost stories, a seminal novel from H.G. Wells, a book of poems, an influential New England haunted house story and a bleak, post-apocalyptic Pulitzer Prize-winner. Join me as I take another dip into the following four lists: NPR Top 100 Horror Stories Reedsy Discovery Best Horror Books Stephen…
Ben Reads the Horror Classics: Hannibal Lecter and Religious Fervor
In this block, I take a look at a couple of classic stories, an influential play, a modern creepypasta, the world’s introduction to notorious fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter and the funereal gloom of puritanical America. Here we come to another entry in my journey through the following three horror lists: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/632779706/click-if-you-dare-100-favorite-horror-stories https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/best-horror-books http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/sale1988-horror100best01.htm http://www.stephenjoneseditor.com/book2005-horroranother100best01.htm…
Ben Reads the Horror Classics: An Introduction
Roughly a month ago, I came across the NPR Reader’s Poll list of 100 Best Horror Books and Stories and was surprised at just how few I had actually read. Have I really been neglecting horror literature over the years in favor of Stephen King novel after Stephen King novel? I felt like this was…
Gutter Trash Maestros Presents: Charles Band
The man, the myth, the legend. Known as much if not more so for being a producer, Band has a long directing career as well. Band’s first big success was with his Empire production company where he produced bonafide classics like The Re-Animator and the horror comedy fun of flicks like Ghoulies and Troll which…