In addition to the usual reviews and comments you would find on a horror movie blog, this is also a document of the wonderfully vast horror movie section of the video store I worked at in my youth.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of actor Sam Neill earlier today. He was 78.
R.I.P. Sam Neill 1947-2026
Though probably best for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park movies, to me he was a genre man through and through. During his five decade career, he did many horror films, most notably Possession, In The Mouth of Madness and Event Horizon and he could always be counted on add gravitas to any picture. Rest in Peace, Sam!
I was sad to hear about the passing of Tom Noonan this Feb 14th. He was a genre giant, not only in stature also in the roles he left behind.
R.I.P Tom Noonan 1951-2026.
As a filmmaker and actor, he played in dozen of films and television shows, including memorable roles in The Last Action Hero, Robocop 2 and Heat. He had terrific range, as evidenced in his turns as Frances Dolarhyde in Manhunter as well as the Frankenstein monster in The Monster Squad. His screen presence will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, Tom.
I saw the terrible news that filmmaker Scott Spiegel has passed away. He was 67. Speigel was a member of the group I affectionately referred to as “The Renaissance Boys.” A bunch of movie loving knuckleheads from Michigan that included the likes of Sam and Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Josh Becker. I have fond memories of tracking down bootlegs of the Super 8 films they made during college.
Scott Spiegel 1957-2025
Spiegel directed a handful of films, the best of which being his 1989 slasher Intruder, that features most of his aforementioned cohorts, but he also contributed to many Raimi pictures and also Hollywood lore, including his well known introduction of his friend Lawrence Bender to Quentin Tarantino, jumpstarting his legendary career.
I'm very sad and I feel like he has gone too soon. I'd always hoped he'd come to a convention near me someday, if only so I could show him my VHS copy of Nude Bowling and ask how and why he ended up in it. But for now, enjoy this early Raimi joint starring Spiegel himself. Rest in peace, good sir.
I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Adam Lopez this week. All of us in the Toronto film community knew he had been battling terminal cancer since 2021, but he was a fighter, outliving his initial six-month diagnosis by several years. It was a period of time he put to good use, travelling the world, spending time with family and, perhaps most importantly, saying his goodbyes.
Adam Lopez 1972-2025.
Adam was a lover of genre film and pop culture, a total Star Wars geek who loved people. He founded the Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2006, not only to show cool films, but also to create a place that cinephiles could gather and talk about the movies they love so much. I met some of my closest friends at this festival. Adam, and his programming team (Peter, Shelagh, Shannon et al), screened four of my shorts over the years and it was always a place I felt at home. Adam's contribution to the Toronto horror scene is immeasurable and his enthusiastic presence will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, Adam and revel in that big IMAX theater in the sky.
Sad. sad news. We lost one of the last great auteurs today. Director, musician, aritst David Lynch passed away today. He was 78. I'm gutted. Even though his health was in decline due to a lifetime of smoking, he seemed like someone who would live forever - as if his penchant for transendental meditation made him somehow immune to death.
David Lynch 1946-2025
His contributions to film and culture were immeasurable and was one of the few directors whose surname is often used as a verb. Often imitated, but never equalled, there will never be another like him. His filmography speaks for itself, as well as his iconic, game-changing series Twin Peaks and his kickass forays into music. I'm listening to Crazy Clown Time as I type this out.
Rest in peace, Mr. Lynch. Wherever you end up, I hope it is a place both wonderful and strange.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of actress Olivia Hussey. She was 73. Though she was most known for her striking performance as Juliet in the 1968 version of Romeo & Juliet, to me, she will forever be the first Final Girl Jess Bradford in 1974's seminal slasher Black Christmas. Iconic.
Olivia Hussey 1951-2024
Hussey also appeared in such genre films Psycho 4, Turkey Shoot and Ice Cream Man and later in her career excelled at voice acting in franchises such as Batman and Star Wars. Sadly, Hussey was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and battled it intermittently until her death on December 27th. Rest in peace, Olivia.
I was gutted to hear about actor Tony Todd's passing on Wednesday. He was 69. Tony was one of the pillars of the horror community, a consummate professional and always approachable.
He visited the Toronto area regularly for convention appearances and I was glad to have met him during his time at Fan Expo and Shock Stock. He was a journeyman of stage and screen; big and small with roles in marquee films like Platoon, Lean on Me and The Crow.
Tony Todd at Fan Expo in 2012.
While he was best known for his iconic role as 1992's Candyman, Todd appeared in countless genre films, including Final Destination, Hatchet and the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead.
Gutted to hear of the passing of composer Angelo Badalamenti. He was 85. This man was a creative giant and composed the music for my favourite soundtrack of all time - Fire Walk With Me. Rest in peace.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of actress and screenwriter Daria Nicolodi yesterday. She was 70. Nicolodi was an integral contributor to Italian horror cinema.
Daria Nicolodi 1950-2020
She starred in dozens of horrors, including several of maestro Dario Argento's films, including Deep Red, Tenebrae and Inferno, as well as co-writing Suspiria. Nicolodi & Argento also share a daughter Asia, a fierce filmmaker in her own right. The trio collaborated in 2007 with the last of the Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of Tears.
I was really saddened to hear about the passing of John Saxon yesterday. He was 83. This one really stings. He was a legend with a show business career that spanned seven decades and almost two-hundred credits.
R.I.P. John Saxon 1936-2020
Arguably best known for this roles in A Nightmare of Elm Street and Black Christmas, he was a ubiquitous figure in the horror genre that goes all the way back to Mario Bava's 1963 film The Girl Who Knew Too Much. To me as a child, he was that guy who always popped up in popular TV shows like Wonder Woman, The A-Team and Fantasy Island. Saxon was the guy who basically introduced me to the concept of a character actor. I'm glad I was able to see him in person during the 2014 Festival of Fear as part of the Black Christmas 40th anniversary reunion.
I was really saddened to hear about actress Kelly Preston's recent passing. She was only 57.
Kelly Preston 1962-2020
Growing up, I had a crush on her from seeing her in flicks like Mischief and SpaceCamp, but it was 1987's Spellbinder that really cemented it for me. I was probably about thirteen when I saw that and boy oh boy was she unforgettable. Following that, she worked steadily right up until losing her two-year battle with breast cancer.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of director Joel Schumacher. He was 80. He had a storied career that spanned several decades and included titles like Falling Down, A Time To Kill and a pair of Batman movies.
R.I.P. Joel Schumacher 1939-2020.
To me though, he'll always be the man who brought us 1987's The Lost Boys. It still remains one of the greatest eighties time capsules to this day, with its soundtrack being the first CD I ever bought.
It replaced my cassette tape.
I'm happy I was able to see Schumacher twice in person at his TIFF screenings of Tigerland and Phone Booth, in 2000 and 2002 respectively. Rest in peace, good sir.
Man, as if there wasn't enough bad news going around. I was really sad to hear about the passing of iconic filmmaker Stuart Gordon yesterday. He was 72.
Director Stuart Gordon 1947-2020
Gordon was a horror staple. He was one of those mavericks that really flourished during the video store boom of the eighties. Even if you are not a horror fan, you must recall the cover boxes of such seminal films as Re-Animator, From Beyond and Dolls. That is one hell of a trio and where I was first introduced to both Jeff Combs and Barbara Crampton.
His career went far beyond that era though. His work with Full Moon provided two of its best efforts in Pit & The Pendulum and Castle Freak.
Gordon also impressed with his post-millenium efforts, such as Dagon (still one of the best Lovecraft adaptations imo), Edmond and my personal fave, King of the Ants. If these titles are unfamiliar to you, now is the perfect time to discover them.
I was gutted to hear about the passing of actor Max von Sydow yesterday. He was 90. Von Sydow was a ubiquitous figure of my childhood. Whether it was as Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon, Brewmeister Smith in Strange Brew, Doctor Novotny in Dreamscape or his turn as Ernst Blofeld in Never Say Never Again, he was a mainstay on my television.
Max von Sydow 1929-2020
Von Sydow seemed ageless to me, as a teen, mainly because Dick Smith's make-up on him in The Exorcist was so convincing that I thought him was older than he actually was. This man was a giant, not only in stature, but also in character. His career in film and television spanned eight decades, more recently appearing as the Three-eyed Raven in Game of Thrones and Lor San Tekka in The Force Awakens.
I heard the sad news today that veteran actor Sid Haig past away a few days ago. He was 80. Haig was a genre giant with a career that spanned six decades in film and television. Over that time, he worked with directors like George Lucas, Jack Hill, Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie.
Sid Haig at Festival of Fear in 2008.
I would best come to know him as Captain Spaulding from Zombie's ouevre, but back when I worked at the video store I remember Haig's screaming face greeting me from the cover box of Spiderbaby every time I walked by my horror section. I met him at the Festival of Fear in 2008 and he struck me as a very warm guy and a great storyteller.
I was saddened to hear about the passing of inimitable actor Rutger Hauer last week in the Netherlands. He was 75. Although he was best known for his portrayal of vigilante replicant Roy Batty in 1982's Blade Runner, his list of significant genre credits is truly impressive.
Rutger Hauer 1944-2019
Cutting his teeth on the early works of Paul Verhoeven, he made his mark on American eighties cinema with roles in such flicks as Nighthawks, The Hitcher and Wanted: Dead or Alive. He kept working throughout the decades, more recently playing the title character in Hobo With A Shotgun in 2011 and doing a stint on HBO's True Blood. Rest in peace, Mr. Hauer. Unlike tears in rain, your moments won't be lost in time.
