A Few Good Reads for Horror Fans

Sorry for not writing something more original this week, but I'll direct you to some really great reads to hopefully make up for it. We at the Tetrad Initiative are all fans of horror, but I must confess to myself being the most intense of the horror aficionados. Or so I would estimate myself, while my partners may disagree. A timid child, I never particularly liked horror movies at all- in fact, I was easily scared of virtually anything more intimidating than the mundane. Regardless, I've grown into an enormous horror fan due to my love of horror atmosphere and aesthetic, and I've seen all too many horror films due to the beautifully cheap rentals at my local Family Video store. Here are a few great articles to check out-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/04/television-simon-pegg-dead-set

This is a nice little write up from Simon Pegg, star of Shaun of the Dead and zombie fan extraordinaire. In this opinion article he wrote for the Guardian, Pegg discusses the merits of traditional slow-zombies and argues for their relevance in an increasingly fast-paced horror world.

http://io9.com/5524998/what-sick-john-carpenter-moments-will-the-thing-prequel-explain

This is nice little interview from io9 with the screen-writer of the upcoming prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing. While most horror fans will remain cold and cynical about the 20+ year late sequel to one of the greatest horror movies ever made, this interview actually gives me some hope for the project. There's an intensity and passion behind the writer's words which make me think there may be some great love for this project. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

http://www.americanpopularculture.com/journal/articles/fall_2002/harper.htm

This one is an oldy but a goody. From one of my favorite journals of essays comes this decent gem about consumerism in Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Now, it's old hat, I'll admit. Everyone has probably read an essay about consumerism in Romero's magnum opus, and everyone also probably knows my pathological love for the film. But really, it's worth reading, I promise! This is probably the best essay I've read on Romero, largely thanks to the pedigree associated with the journal. Definitely worth checking out, whether or not you've read Romero in the past.

That's my offering for the week, I'll try to throw up something totally original next week.

- David Mitchell