The past is a distant country. The further away we travel from it, the more strange the customs feel and the more unlike our own times it becomes. Consider the life you lead right now, the things you take for granted and consider to be normal. Now consider how jarring it would be to time travel back to, say, 1951. The clothing, technology, standards, everything would feel odd, and 1951 was only 70 years ago. Take that sense of disconnectedness and multiply it. You probably have something close to the chasm between how we think about the Middle Ages and the lived experience of Europeans. From the... Read More

Horror is probably the most subjective genre in film, with comedy running a very close second. We all have our own individual cracks in our psyches, and certain fears strike us in different ways. What scares me may not necessarily scare you. It’s a shame, too, that horror is sneered at, looked down upon. It’s the red-headed stepchild of film. People with otherwise impeccable taste in any other art form will turn up their noses if you suggest a horror flick for movie night. These same people will then campaign vigorously for overrated tripe like Forrest Gump.  The color palate of... Read More