Books:
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| © Berkley |
1- THE VOICE OF THE NIGHT By Dean Koontz. : First published in 1980 under the pseudonym Brian Coffey, and later released under his own name in 1991, The Voice of The Night is one of Dean Koontz’s best, yet least known, novels. It is one of his most understated books, and his only coming-of-age tale. Read or listen to the full review here.
2- UNCLE SILAS (1864) by J. S. Le Fanu: Uncle Silas (1864) is considered by many, including M. R. James, to be Le Fanu's masterpiece. While that is arguable, Uncle Silas is indeed one of Le Fanu's best, as it features all of the main ingredients of his special brew: a likable heroine; terrifying villains; plenty of intrigue; and an incomparable mastery of atmosphere. Read or listen to the full review here.
3- A SECOND COMING (1900) By Richard Marsh: It is hard to imagine that A Second Coming (1900) by Richard Marsh, a heartfelt, thought-provoking, and haunting novel about the second coming of The Christ, was written by the same man who gave us the forgettable Gothic-Horror of The Beetle (1897). Where The Beetle was bland, tame, and crudely written, A Second Coming is philosophically challenging, often fiery, and even sporadically elegant. Read or listen to the full review here.
4- THE GUARDIAN ANGEL by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1867): 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. Read or listen to the full review here.
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| © Harper. |
5- L. A. TIMES by Stuart Woods: One of Wood's most underrated and cynical novels, this is a darkly funny tale about a young, sociopathic mob enforcer who slowly but surely makes his way up the Hollywood ladder. Read or listen to the full review here.
6- FORTITUDE By Hugh Walpole: I guess it would be considered sacrilege to call Fortitude as good, or even better than, a lot of Dickens' coming of age tales, but it is. He also attempts to mimic James' psychological mastery, but here, he doesn't really succeed, although his characters are interesting enough, some even fascinating. Read or listen to the full review here.
7- THE PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE by Hugh Walpole: Inspired by Francis Thompson's haunting poem "The Hound of Heaven", The Prelude to Adventure (1912) features all of Walpole's signature ingredients, but what sets it apart is that, here, Walpole's main character is not lost, but found. It's a detective story, a Gothic tale, a spiritual meditation, and a love story all in one. Read or listen to the full review here.
8- DEVOTED by Dean Koontz: Devoted is Koontz energized, impassioned, and focused. Yes, there are still instances of heavy-handed social commentary and sentimentality, and the main characters aren't that memorable, but Koontz hasn't written a book this enjoyable, this readable, this moving, in years. Read or listen to the full review here.
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| © Crossroad Press. |
9- CURTAINS OF BLOOD by Robert J. Randisi **** out of *****: Using the now clichéd high concept of Bram Stoker crossing paths with Jack The Ripper in 1888 London, Randisi produces what is arguably the best of all the books that tread the same ground (including The Dracula Dossier by James Reese, and Stoker's Wilde by Hopstaken and Prusi). What sets Randisi's story apart is his style. He has a mastery of atmosphere, and his minimalist, unfussy writing style and short chapters pull the reader in, slowly but surely, into a compelling and disturbing story. Read or listen to the full review here.
10- NAMELESS: SEASON 1. By Dean Koontz: A literary experiment comprised of six interconnected novellas, about an amnesiac vigilante who hunts down killers who have escaped the grip of the law. This is Koontz at his darkest and angriest, a side of him that readers rarely get to see, especially in the past 30 years or so. The main character is interesting if too enigmatic for his own good; the six stories vary in quality and style, but all are entertaining; and the ending, though not very surprising, is powerful and moving. Read or listen to the full review here.
Movies
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| © WB\Malpaso |
1- CRY MACHO (2021): Clint Eastwood returns as actor and director with Cry Macho (2021), a sweet, gentle, and charming little film, which, in its own modest, easy-going way, achieves so much with seemingly little effort. Read or listen to the full review here.
2- 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. Read or listen to the full review here.
3- SO LONG AT THE FAIR (1950): Reportedly admired by Hitchcock, who later adapted it twice for his TV show, Hitchcock Presents, So Long At The Fair (1950) is a highly effective period thriller. Fans of Hitchcock, and classic mystery fiction for that matter, will probably guess the solution to the puzzle long before the credits roll. But directors Terence Fisher and Anthony Darnborough keep things moving at such a brisk pace and with such technical elegance, that even if the viewer knows the outcome, the film remains absorbing and suspenseful. Read or listen to the full review here.
4- THE CITY OF THE DEAD (1960): Atmospheric Gothic horror featuring Christopher Lee. It benefits greatly from director John Llewellyn Moxey's (The Night Stalker [1972]) mastery of Gothic visuals, and a midway twist that is surprisingly effective. Read or listen to the full review here.
5- CUTTER'S WAY (1981): A hidden gem from the 1980's, Cutter's Way (1981), based on Newton Thornburg's novel Cutter and Bone, is too good to be forgotten. Starring Jeff Bridges and John Heard, and directed by Ivan Passer, the film is part psychological thriller, part character study, and part buddy movie, and is an atmospheric and intelligent thriller with a twisty plot and a moody, enigmatic quality all its own. Read or listen to the full review here.
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| © VCI Entertainment |
6- DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981): Dark Night of The Scarecrow (1981) is one of those "quiet horror" films that sneak up on you. At first glance, the film looks like a hundred other dated, unpolished, made-for-TV movie from the late 1970s and early 80s. But then a brutal execution of a mentally challenged character by an angry mob takes place, and the film takes a turn into a whole different class of moviemaking. Read or listen to the full review here.
7- GALVESTON (2018): Based on the novel of the same name by Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of the groundbreaking TV series True Detective, Galveston (2018) is a somewhat uneasy mixture of noir, American Gothic, and tragedy. But even if the elements don't always gel as effectively as they should, especially in the second act where there's a noticeable dramatic lull, the film, as a whole, works on many levels. Read the full review here.
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| © Verical Entertainment |
8- HAMMER (2020): Clocking in at just over 80 minutes and slipping under the release radar, Hammer (2020) is an effective, quietly moving, and compelling psychological/crime thriller. Read or listen to the full review here.
9- THE ASSISTANT (2019): Saying too much about the plot of The Assistant (2019) does the film a disservice. Although it's not really plot-driven and more of a character study, part of the beauty of watching it is experiencing how it unfolds, scene by scene, layer by layer, drawing you in into a story that is masterfully and boldly told. Read or listen to the full review here.
Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2022.
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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