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| © Sony Pictures Classics |
The Whole Wide World (1996): Compelling, often moving biography of one of pulp fiction's true pioneers, Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane, and a huge influence on the writings of Lovecraft. It follows his complex relationship with teacher/writer Novalyne Price, as Howard struggles with his unhealthy attachment to his mother and his deep-rooted misanthropy. Renee Zellweger steals the film with her charming, layered, and subdued portrayal of Novalyne Price, while Vincent D'Onofrio gives an impassioned if sometimes overbearing performance as Howard. The film will appeal most to fans of Howard's incomparable writings, but it is also a touching, poignant, and tragic love story. The conventional if steady direction by Dan Ireland is too low-key for its own good, but this is a good story, well-told.
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| © Gallery Books |
Chasing The Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar: Surprisingly effective mixture of true-crime stylings and beautifully textured mystery, focusing on a series of killings that take place in a small, idyllic town in Maryland. Author Richard Chizmar tells this fictional tale as if it were all true, complete with transcripts and crime scene photos. It's a borderline exploitive approach, but Chizmar's take is just right, as he imbues the story with a personal and heartfelt touch that elevates the material and keeps the story irresistibly compelling. A near-classic.
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| © Amazon |
The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.: A gem of an obscure novel that defies categorization, The Guardian Angel (1867) by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. has it all: memorable characters, a busy plot, and a great sense of wit and humor. Describing the plot is almost impossible, so I'll just say it's a coming of age story with elements of a metaphysical mystery. And there's a villain after an inheritance, of course. What sets the book apart is Holmes' energetic style and sheer sense of fun, making this a book that, compared to many of its contemporaries, has aged well. Recommended to fans of Victorian literature, mysteries, and good storytelling.
Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2021.
Video Version:
Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer
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