Table of contents for Issue 225 Jul/Aug 2025 in RUE MORGUE

Rue Morgue · 001 Rue Morgue #225 - Intro   So, I’ve been thinking a bit about death lately. Not in the sense that my own is especially imminent or anything (although tomorrow is promised to no one, don’t forget, and I’ve somehow started smoking again), but this issue contains another obit, another dedication, another one for the fire, to use an indelicate horror idiom. (From Night of the Living Dead, get it? You have to get it or else I’m a major asshole.) Adam Lopez was a key figure to me as I entered Toronto’s horror scene. The Toronto After Dark Film Festival was perfect for a newcomer to the city – solid fright flicks at a cozy rep cinema without all of the Toronto International Film Festival’s…

Anyone who will ever peer into the annals of rock will find the name Bob Ezrin prominently etched there. The Toronto native produced Pink Floyd’s The Wall, KISS’ Destroyer (for which he co-wrote “Beth” with Peter Criss), the album Strays by Jane’s Addiction, and made significant contributions to Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile, among many, many others. His chief endowment to classic rock, however, is arguably the music he produced and co-wrote for Alice Cooper, both in its formative years as a band, and later as a solo act. Ezrin entered the fold of the original Alice Cooper band when he was hired to produce their first “serious” album, Love It to Death, in 1971 – but he did much more than that. Under his artful engineering and mixing of…

Rue Morgue · 004 Rue Morgue #225 - The Toxic Avenger   When Rue Morgue spoke to Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman about the daunting prospect of handing his bizarre and beloved Toxie over to another filmmaker, his relief was as palpable as his enthusiasm. “There were some very good people [attached] along the way,” he says of various near-misses in the Toxic Avenger reboot sweepstakes, “but you know, we couldn’t just give it away – we had to wait for the finest!” The finest, in this case, turned out to be writer/director/actor Macon Blair and a cast that boasts Game of Thrones’ breakout star Peter Dinklage as the titular hero and bona fide Hollywood icons Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon in supporting (read: villain) roles. Blair’s recent on-camera work…

https://youtu.be/p108bHmGw70?feature=shared RARE EXPORT CANNIBAL FARM High Octane Pictures In these uncertain times of tariffs, salmonella outbreaks, and overpriced eggs, please remember that you could save a couple bucks on your grocery bill by resorting to cannibalism! That’s what happens in this British outing where a young boy is maimed by a prank gone horribly awry, and his father helps him collect new faces to replace his mangled one. And what to do with all that leftover meat? Luckily, he meets a group of discerning cannibals willing to pay top dollar for the choicest cuts of the lost campers and tourists he keeps caged up on his farm. With heavy-handed nods to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it’s a good watch with competent acting, some solid gore, and a couple of cool twists…

https://youtu.be/9asxICiFPlY?feature=shared BEYOND THE 7 DOORS OF DEATH Back in the good old days of the 1980s, long before online research was a thing, horror fans could head out to see the latest fright release with no idea of what they’d actually be seeing. Retitlings of productions both old and new were common; unless you perused the credits in the newspaper ads closely, you could go to the movie known as Horror Planet in the U.S. without knowing it was the flick that had been covered in genre magazines as Inseminoid. And even the credits could be (intentionally) deceiving; one of this writer’s most memorable encounters with the latter occurred when I headed with a friend to a matinee showing of a supernatural shocker called 7 Doors of Death in November…

Is your loved one suffering from a pesky bout of possession? There are few exorcists around that can handle the job better than Shane Beck. Equally adept at using a pen knife and salt as crucifixes and holy water, his skills have less to do with Beck being a maverick and more about his also being the victim of possession… except in his case, it’s not a demon inhabiting his body but the soul of an ex-conman and recent fugitive from Hell. So begins Betweeners, a new graphic novel by writer Adam Carter and artist Armin Ozdik, which dares to send the exorcism genre spinning on its head. “It started with a relatively simple thought: what would a secular exorcist look like?” reveals Carter. “I wanted to tell a story…

YOU HAVE TO LET THEM BLEED Annie Neugebauer Bad Hand Books Most of the short stories in Annie Neugebauer’s debut collection stay close to home, opening the dark cupboards and closets where the most frightening domestic fantasies hide. Childhood fears and the fear of bearing children, a fresh-start new house and a house under an ancient curse, curios filling shelves and a drawer stuffed with junk – all turn up in these truly scary, disturbing tales. Horror readers still unaware of Neugebauer’s mastery are in for a revelation as story after story in You Have to Let Them Bleed leaves a deep impression. Eighteen of the nineteen were previously published in magazines and anthologies. “So Sings the Siren” and “Glove Box” were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Let-Them-Bleed/dp/B0DYWZHKG1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FJ86KDFU9O77&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v3BqRVc5WCTxgeBGVfXABw.jnvkBdOw1dvXSkjY3OL8Sr_I0syfqeD4K2IcceipC7w&dib_tag=se&keywords=YOU+HAVE+TO+LET+THEM+BLEED+Annie+Neugebauer&qid=1749228663&sprefix=you+have+to+let+them+bleed+annie+neugebauer%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-1 Those…

I WAS JUST SO DELIGHTED to see the final showdown of RM#224 consider Rock ’N’ Roll Nightmare (a.k.a The Edge of Hell) as a true contender. It’s not every satanic panic rock horror film that reverses pretty much every assumption of the genre, up to making the heavy metal hero a literal angel who just wants to wrassle puppet Satan. If I’m trying to sell my friends on a CanCon evening, gore splattered over a bit of a bleak meditation on small town poverty is never going to stand up to the winning words “musical with equal opportunity mammary glands and PUPPET. SATAN.” We’re here for a good time, even if this requires acknowledging Markham, Ontario, existing. ANNE MILLAR, VIA EMAIL I BUY RUE MORGUE at my local USA Barnes…

(Private I Records; Epic, 1985) Written and directed by Tom (Child’s Play) Holland, Fright Night was a hit with both fans and critics when it was released in August of 1985. Holland’s directorial debut told of a teenaged horror fan, Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), who learns that his charming next-door neighbour Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) is actually a vampire, and enlists the help of local TV horror host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to destroy him. Audiences enjoyed the film’s humour, makeup effects, and score (with music by Brad Fiedel), which included the catchy title track, “Fright Night” by rock-pop group The J. Geils Band. Included on the film’s soundtrack album, the song was also released as a 7-inch vinyl single on the Private I Records label in the U.S. and…

For those seeking their tingles on the smuttier side of genre fiction, author Chuck Tingle has emerged as an icon of outsider lit; the viral eroticist, pop philosopher, and joyful punk-provocateur-turned-horror-writer made a pseudonym for himself with his queer horror erotica (dubbed the “Tingleverse”) that quickly amassed him a legion of devoted fans (referred to by the author as “buckaroos” and “ladybucks”). And while his recent foray into mainstream horror fiction may be more accessible to populist sensibilities, there’s no question that Tingle’s output retains its edge: his latest apocalyptic brain-melter, Lucky Day (out August 12 from Tor Nightfire), is all about staring oblivion right in its ugly mug and having the bravery to laugh. “It’s the most fun you’ll ever have wrestling with the profound weight of existential dread,”…

FIVE COURSE MEAL 7:22 mins/YouTube via Bourdon Creative Inc’s Channel Married couple Mark (Murray Farnell) and Jenny (Melissa Kwasek) need to make ends meet, so they sign up for an experimental study that sees them living together for a month in a single room, with only a bed and a toilet. At mealtime, two trays of food are pushed into the room through a small hole. The food is incredibly delicious but, oddly, the couple can’t seem to eat their fill, and thus begins the revolting overindulgence of Canadian filmmaker James Cadden’s Five Course Meal. Based on a short story by Josh Saltzman, this simple tale is brought to life by disgusting practical effects courtesy of Edmonton-based Bold Raven FX, nightmarish ASMR, and committed performances from its two leads. Viewers…

https://www.amazon.com/Derry-Public-Radio-Stephen-Podcast/dp/B08JJSZNV8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LE273F18MLN1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eJJlD01xvrt7a8iD8jFQzg.D1y8qxBfoE_QvSaUQYvO115clxLI7uVQUfVtshplLGk&dib_tag=se&keywords=Derry+Public+Radio%3A+A+Stephen+King+Podcast&qid=1749062732&sprefix=derry+public+radio+a+stephen+king+podcast%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1 DERRY PUBLIC RADIO: A STEPHEN KING PODCAST THEME: Stephen King Catalogue FORMAT: Conversational FREQUENCY: Biweekly Many of us don’t have enough reading time to keep up with a regular book club, or simply lack a friend group that would go all-in exclusively on horror novels. Luckily there is Derry Public Radio: A Stephen King Podcast to help fill that niche. Operating as a virtual book club, the biweekly podcast has been working through the King library since 2018 and shows no signs of slowing down. Hosted by SK mega-fans Joshua Kahn, Eve Godot, and C.M. Alexander, each episode begins under the guise of a radio broadcast from the fictional town of Derry before leading into a real-world discussion of a novel or short story. This includes the author’s mainstays,…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l64Por9PJzc GHOST FREQUENCY PC PIT Games/Serafini Productions Does real-life ghost-hunting leave you feeling perpetually disappointed? Have you ever wished your EMF meter pointed to actual paranormal phenomena? Well, Ghost Frequency, a new budget title from Tokyo-based Serafini Productions, is broadcasting straight at you. Players take on the role of Mark, one half of an expert ghost-hunting duo, while his partner Emily guides him from off-site through a radio. The mission: figure out what happened to your friends, Lisa and Ben, who disappeared while investigating the abandoned property. Players mostly see the world through Mark’s trusty video camera, and like many real-life ghost hunts, this one kicks off with a careful walkthrough of the place – opening drawers, zooming in on objects, looking for evidence. As Mark navigates the building’s odd…

1 SCARY MOVIE BINGO $51 CAD Spice up your watch parties with a round of Scary Movie bingo! Just mark off common horror tropes and clichés like “doofus cop,” “creepy phone call,” or “impractical footwear,” and you could scream your way to victory (ironic award ribbon included). Uncommongoods.com 2 MACABRE CANDLE $36 USD From Mise En Scènt’s genre collection, this Macabre Candle is inspired by your long-burning flame for horror with notes of autumn air and spice. See also: the Summer Slasher, Bad Movie, and Villain Era candles for the full cinematic experience. Miseenscent.com 3 GREMLINS SEATBELT BUCKLE DOG COLLAR $26.90 USD We all know that Gremlin care entails following the rules: keep away from water, don’t feed after midnight, and use this fashionable high-density polyester dog collar for the…

Rue Morgue · 002 Rue Morgue #225 - Alice Cooper   WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT A NEW ALICE COOPER ALBUM, THE REVENGE OF ALICE COOPER, WAS DUE OUT THIS July, the question on everyone’s mind was: is that guy still around? It’s a bit of double entendre, given that the man named Alice Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) has reunited with the band members that originally gave him his moniker. For Cooper, life after death is second nature.   Originally formed by Furnier and high school friends Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton (R.I.P. 1997) on guitars, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith, the band began as a directionless curiosity, going by the names The Spiders and The Nazz before landing on Alice Cooper. Under the new name…

DEVILISH CHARM WITCHBOARD Starring Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez and Jamie Campbell Bower Directed by Chuck Russell Written by Chuck Russell and Kevin Tenney A-Nation Media After Hasbro bought the rights to the Ouija board in 1991 and launched its own film series based on the parlour game in 2014, it seemed like the Witchboard films from the ’80s were as dusty as your mom’s attic. Now, co-writer/director Chuck Russell (the maestro behind such visual cinematic feasts as A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Mask with Jim Carrey, and The Blob remake), revives the three-film franchise with pizzazz. https://youtu.be/Qr0d00hy1h8?feature=shared Russell’s new take is more of a reboot, detailing the sinister origin of an ancient pendulum-style board that belonged to a nasty, bishop-fighting witch back in the days of…

Rue Morgue · 005 Rue Morgue #225 - Hellhouse LLC Lineage   A midst the crowded field of found-footage supernatural features, the Hell House LLC franchise has scared up a cult following since the first film’s release in 2016. After a trilogy set at the haunted Abaddon Hotel, 2023’s Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor delved into the backstory tied to the titular mansion and won the strongest critical response of any of the sequels. Now, Hell House LLC: Lineage (hitting theatres August 20 from Terror Films and Iconic Events, then streaming exclusively on Shudder in October) is wrapping up the dual storylines – and forgoing the handheld vérité format. “When [writer/director] Stephen Cognetti was coming up with the script for Lineage,” says producer Joe Bandelli, who has…

HORROR FILMS HAVE TRAINED US TO BE CREEPED OUT BY DOLLS. CHUCKY’S MANIACAL GRIN IN CHILD’S PLAY, Annabelle’s hollow stare, the malevolent clown from Poltergeist – from feral fetish dolls to possessed puppets to murderous mechanical moppets like M3GAN, cinema has long weaponized their fixed gazes, their too-perfect features, their uncanny stillness. Each new horror franchise adds another entry to the catalogue of killer toys, embedding the image deeper into our collective nightmares. But… their sweet little faces! Their charming antique frocks! Their weird, unblinking, soul-penetrating glass eyeballs that follow you around the room! My shelves are lined with exactly these supposed nightmare objects – porcelain beauties frozen in expressions that hover somewhere between naive innocence and sly knowing, their painted mouths perpetually on the verge of murmuring secrets too…

QUEER SLASHERS Peter Marra Indiana University Press The tough thing about engaging with cinema from the perspective of any marginalized group is understanding and articulating how the othered are represented, distorted, or appropriated for shock value. From a queer lens, we’re seeing parts of someone’s life (or even aspects of life they might wish they could call their own) filtered through heteronormativity and biases, both conscious and unconscious. Throughout Queer Slashers, author Peter Marra navigates a genre of film he loves while traversing its more problematic areas and examining how both straight and queer filmmakers have told queer stories. Marra mentions that there’s an element of drag to many onscreen killers, which is certainly thought-provoking. Freddy Krueger, no stranger to such analysis given the heavily queer-coded A Nightmare on Elm…

I’ve worked in horror almost half my life and while, in my role as a journalist, I’ve always sought to maintain a certain amount of professional distance with authors whose work I might cover, it’s inevitable that some acquaintances became friends over such a lengthy time. Additionally, for me, there’s always been a clear delineation between things I discovered before and after the spooky stuff became my career. Firmly on the before side is Nancy Kilpatrick’s vampire fiction, which I first stumbled across on a bookshelf in Siren, a goth clothing store formerly located on Toronto’s Queen Street West. Notably, Nancy was one of the few horror authors I met in person before I darkened these hallowed pages. This is my way of saying “we go way back.” And so,…

https://www.discogs.com/release/19648876-Ned-Folkerth-Mike-Pierry-Deadbeat-At-Dawn DEADBEAT AT DAWN SOUNDTRACK Mike Pierry and Ned Folkerth MYSTIC VAULT Jim Van Bebber’s grim and gory chronicle of gang violence in 1980s Dayton, Ohio, comes equipped with an aggressive, scrappy little score from Mike Pierry and Ned Folkerth, and thanks to the good people at Mystic Vault, now you can spin this bad boy on wax. The synth-based music is an in-your-face cacophony that owes much to John Carpenter, only the inspiration is more Assault on Precinct 13 than Halloween. There’s a menacing quality to the spare grooves, with synths sometimes ringing out like police sirens or hammering clangs of metal. Other times it sounds like a couple of dudes discovering the pre-programmed drum loops on their synth and having a field day with it, trying to see…