2019 Year End Review: Part 1 – A Look Back

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End of another year. Another decade. I know one thing for sure that this last decade will not be remembered as one that didn’t produce any good horror movies! Just look at 2014 and you’ll find a ton of amazing films, from here in the US to around the world. As a horror fan, I feel pretty blessed with these last ten years of terror. Let’s hope the ’20s bring us another long list of great cinema.

I had thought that this would be a personal low when it came to films watched, only because it didn’t feel like I had watched that many. In fact, there were a couple of months were I only got to a handful of films. With my book coming out, doing another retrospective for HorrorHound, and the usual holidays, it takes time away from being able to sit and watch movies. But once the tally was done, it turns out that I had watched more in 2019 than I did since 2013! The final number was 236, with almost half of them, a total of 115, being first time viewings. There were a few trips to the drive-ins, some movie marathons, a couple of Turkey Days, and other mini-marathons with friends or just by myself. And I intend to do it all over this year! Really going to try and hit 250 viewings in 2020. Continue reading

Frankenstein on Stage!

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Last Sunday, Dawn and I headed into Chicago for our third stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The first time wasn’t really live theater, but the National Theatre Live’s version of the story, directed by Danny Boyle and with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in the rotating roles as Victor Frankenstein and his creation. It was decent enough, but maybe because it wasn’t live, it didn’t have the punch I was hoping for. Next was the Lifeline Theatre’s version last year, which was much different than Shelley’s story. It was more about with dealing grief, with Victor actually being a woman named Victoria trying to resurrect her father. Again, it was a very interesting take on the story, but not what I was hoping for. Continue reading

Frankenstein at the Lookingglass Theatre

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Right now, playing at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre, there is a new stage production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. We went last year to see a Frankenstein play at the Lifeline Theatre, which was a different take on the story, but was still entertaining. So when I heard there was a new adaptation of the story, well… I’m a sucker for anything Frankenstein, so it’s hard for me not to want to see what they are doing with this amazing and timeless story.

It is playing from now through Aug. 4th, which seems to be filling up rather quickly. When I went online to buy tickets, seats are becoming few and far between, so if you’re remotely interested, I would jump on it now! Continue reading