Ten Things That I’m Looking Forward To In October

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yay! It’s finally October again! Are you excited because I know I am? Seriously, it feels like it’s been a year since I last got to celebrate my favorite month!

Here are ten things that I’m looking forward to in October.

Halloween and Horrothon! — You all had to know that this was going to be number one, right? Halloween is my favorite time of year, both because of the cool weather and the fact that it’s the start of the holiday season! Plus, this time of year that we do our annual Horrorthon here at TSL! (I will also be contributing daily horror reviews to Horror Critic!) I spend all year looking forward to and preparing for this month. Horrorthon can be an exhausting enterprise but it’s always worth it.
Terrifier 2 — Art, the world’s most terrifying clown is back! Seriously, killer clowns are a bit of a cliché but Art is one of the most frightening horror creations that I’ve ever seen. Terrifier 2 is going to be 138 minutes long and, with the legacy of Michael Myers being ruined by the current David Gordon Green Halloween trilogy (seriously, don’t even get me started), now is the time for Art to step up and remind people what horror is all about.
TAR — Todd Field’s first film since Little Children looks intriguing and has been getting rapturous reviews. TAR is getting a limited release on October 3rd before opening wide on October 28th. It may not be a horror film but I’m still looking forward to seeing the film that could very well make Cate Blanchett a three-time Oscar winner.
Triangle of Sadness — For that matter, I’m also looking forward to Triangle of Sadness, this year’s winner of Palme d’Or. The film opens on October 7th and it appears to feature Woody Harrelson in the role that he was born to play.
The Banshees of Inisherin — An Irish film, reuniting Martin McDonagh, Colin Farrell, and Brendan Gleeson? (Previously, all three worked together on the brilliant In Bruges.) How could I possible resist?
Dark Glasses — Dario Argento’s latest film is coming to Shudder!
Night of the Living Dead, The Shining, the original Suspiria, Carnival of Souls, Robot Monster, Little Shop of Horrors, Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 From Outer Space, the original Halloween — It’s tradition! These are films that I watch at least once every October and I’m looking forward to watching them this year as well.
Mocking the critics — There are so many snobs out there when it comes to horror. That’s why it’s always fun to spend October mocking them on twitter. Forget those who look down on horror. October is our time.
All The Holiday Specials — Toy Story of Terror? Yep. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown? You know my sister and I will be watching it. It’s not October without the holiday specials.
Setting A Record — Last year, at TSL, we posted 487 times over the course of October. Think we can break 500 this year? We’re off to a good start!

Happy October everyone! I look forward to sharing this wonderful time of year with all of you! What are you looking forward to?

4 Shots From 4 George Romero Films

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Happy Halloween! Today, we pay tribute to the patron saint of American horror, George Romero! We’ve watched Night of the Living Dead! Now, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 George Romero Films

Night of the Living Dead (1968, dir by George Romero, DP: George Romero)

Dawn of the Dead (1978, dir by George Romero, DP: Michael Gornick)

Martin (1978, dir by George Romero, DP: Michael Gornick)

Day of the Dead (1985, dir by George Romero, DP: Michael Gornick)

Horror on the Lens: Night of the Living Dead (dir by George Romero)

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy Halloween everyone!

Well, as another horrorthon draws to a close, it’s time for another Shattered Lens tradition! Every Halloween, we share one of the greatest and most iconic horror films ever made. For your Halloween enjoyment, here is George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead!

(Be sure to read Arleigh’s equally famous review!)

Lisa Marie’s Grindhouse Trailers: 12 Trailers For Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

For today’s Halloween edition of Lisa’s Marie Favorite Grindhouse Trailers, I present to you, without comment, the trailers for my 12 favorite horror movies.

Happy Halloween!

The Shining (1980)

2. Suspiria (1977)

3. A Field in England (2013)

4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

5. Zombi 2 (1979)

6. The Exorcist (1973)

7. Halloween (1978)

8. Two Orphan Vampires (1996)

9. Near Dark (1987)

10. Scream and Scream Again (1970)

11. Horror of Dracula (1958)

12. Messiah of Evil (1973)

Book Review: Night of the Living Dead by John A. Russo

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A few years ago, I found a slightly beat-up copy of John Russo’s novelization of Night of the Living Dead at Half-Price Books. Of course, I immediately purchased it. From my own knowledge of the making of George Romero’s classic horror movie, I knew that John Russo was the one who came up with an idea involving zombies which led to Romero writing a story outline for Night of the Living Dead which Russo then turned into the film’s screenplay.

I also knew that Romero and Russo had a falling out of sorts after the success of Night of the Living Dead. With the film in the public domain as the result of a screw-up on the part of the movie’s distributor, there was some controversy over who had the rights to the original’s story. That’s one reason why the titles of Romero’s subsequent zombie films (i.e., Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and the rest) were all about “the Dead” as opposed to “the Living Dead.” Russo’s subsequent zombie-themed work (i.e. Return of the Living Dead) featured the term “Living Dead” and was also sold as a sequel to the original Night of the Living Dead.

With all that in mind, I was curious to see what Russo’s novelization would be like. What extra information would the book contain about the characters? Would there be any extra details that were cut from the film? How about an alternate ending? It’s been known to happen. (Check out the novelization for Halloween if you want to see how much a novelization can differ from the film that inspired it.)

Well, it turns out that novelization of Night of the Living Dead is pretty much a straight recreation of the film. We do learn a bit more about just how bad a relationship Barbara has with her brother Johnny. And it’s firmly established that Ben was a truck driver before the dead came back to life. Otherwise, it’s pretty much just the movie in novel form. We don’t learn much about the characters that we didn’t already know. Harry is still stubborn and cowardly. Ben is still the designated hero who manages to get everyone killed through his own stubbornness. Barbara is still catatonic for most of the book. (I know some would complain about Barbara being so passive but her stunned disbelief is perhaps the most realistic part of the film and the novel. That’s how most of us would react to going through what she’s just been through.) Russo is a good writer and he does a good job capturing the tension in that little house. The final few chapters — which recreate the film’s downbeat ending — are particularly well-done. But there’s not much in the book that isn’t also in the movie.

One interesting thing about the novelization is that it was originally published in 1974, six years after the release of Night of the Living Dead. Was it written in an attempt to help establish that Russo and/or Romero owned the rights to the film? Or did it just take the publisher that long to realize that they’re might be a market for a novel based on the film? Who knows?

The book doesn’t add much to the overall story but I’m still glad I’ve got a copy, You can never have enough Night of the Living Dead memorabilia.

4 Shots From 4 George Romero Films: Night of the Living Dead, The Amusement Park, The Crazies, Day of the Dead

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

This October, we’ve been using 4 Shots from 4 Films to pay tribute to some of our favorite horror filmmakers! Today, we honor the father of modern horror, George Romero!

4 Shots From 4 George Romero Films

Night of the Living Dead (1968, dir by George Romero)

The Amusement Park (1973, dir by George Romero)

The Crazies (1973, dir by George Romero)

Day of the Dead (1985, dir by George Romero)

Horror on the Lens: Night of the Living Dead (dir by George Romero)

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy Halloween everyone!

(Be sure to read Arleigh’s equally famous review!)

Horror Scenes That I Love: The Interview With The Chief From Night of the Living Dead

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

“Yeah, they’re dead …. they’re all messed up.”

There’s a lot of disturbing scenes in the original Night of the Living Dead but I’ve always loved this live, televised interview with the chief of police. First, there’s the delivery of that classic line. “….they’re all messed up.” Yes, they are. Then there’s the fact that the chief doesn’t seem to be particularly perturbed by the fact that the dead are coming back to life. Instead, his attitude is very straight-forward. It’s happening, we need to take care of it, let’s arm some civilians.

Of course, this interview sets up the film’s ending, in which we learn that those helpful civilians with guns are a bit trigger happy and sometimes, the living get in the way. When you first see this interview, it’s easy to laugh at the sight of the chief’s posse and everyone’s odd confidence that the dead will somehow just go away. (Death, after all, is the one thing that is guaranteed to happen to everyone eventually.) Once you know how the story’s going to end, though, this scene becomes much more ominous.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special George Romero Edition

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today would have been George Romero’s 80th birthday.

Now, those of you who have been reading us since the beginning know how important the work of George Romero has been to this site. A mutual appreciation of Night of the Living Dead is one of the things that first brought many of us together. It’s a film that we watch ever Halloween and Arleigh’s review of the original remains one of our most popular posts. If this site had a patron saint, it would probably be George Romero.

And yet, Romero wasn’t just a director of zombie films. He made many films, dealing with everything from hippie lovers (There’s Always Vanilla) to wannabe vampires (Martin) to government conspiracies (The Crazies) and eccentric bikers (Knightriders). George Romero was one of the pioneers of independent films and today, on his birthday, we should all take a minute to consider and appreciate the man’s cinematic legacy. It’s not just horror fans who owe George Romero a debt of gratitude. It’s lovers of cinema everywhere.

With that in mind, here are….

4 Shots From 4 George Romero Films

Night of the Living Dead (1968, dir by George Romero)

The Crazies (1973, dir by George Romero)

The Amusement Park (1973, dir by George Romero)