Traumafession:: Bdwilcox on Chronicle (2012)
While not a true kindertrauma, more like an middle-age trauma, a trauma it was nonetheless. When I first started watching the movie Chronicle (2012), I was expecting a fun, science-fiction coming of age story. Basically, a fantasy what-if narrative, the musings of sleep-overs and camp discussions of what superheroes were the coolest, what superpower would you choose to have if you could have one and what you would do with it.
(Spoilers ahead) But as the movie progressed, the wonderment subsided and was steadily replaced by deepening layers of dread and horror as primordial fears we unearthed. As the main character Andrew slips slowly into madness and his new-found superpowers are used to enact his insanity, feelings long buried and subconsciously neglected came to fro. I placed myself into Andrew’s shoes and contemplated my greatest fear in life, that I would become mentally ill myself and hurt those around me without realizing what I was doing. The insane are often given a pass for the horrific acts they commit because their own volition isn’t there, but that doesn’t relieve the horror witnessed or experienced by the sane around them. What if I had the power to inflict such suffering without realizing what I was doing? What agony it would be to snap back into reality and realize it was your own hand that destroyed those you loved? Would I have a small window of sanity to destroy myself to protect others from my descent into madness? Would my sense of morality be enough to override a twisted, urgent desire to commit acts of evil? If I was able to snap back into reality, could I live with myself knowing I had hurt others? These are incredibly difficult questions to confront yourself with, things most people push aside and pretend like it never happens to otherwise good people who become ill through no fault of their own.
While not a true horror story in the classical sense, it was the purest form of horror to me. Personal, disturbing, abrasive, exposing fears long buried and leaving a residue of lingering dread. It was a good movie and I would recommend it to anyone who loves science-fiction as it put a new spin on an old fable. But know that the movie is much more profound in its message than it seems at first and may leave you with questions you may not want to contemplate or deal with.
-bdwilcox
Recently Viewed:: Frankenstein (2025), Match & Predator: Badlands
Dark fantasy horror meister Guillermo del Toro’s epic dream project FRANKENSTEIN is a glorious sight to behold. It’s got the lush goth visuals you’d expect (on par with Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA ('92) and Robert Eggers’ recent NOSFERATU) and easily stands as the freshest and most earnest modern take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel in memory (the less said about Keneth Branagh’s 1994 misfire the better). Besides having a genuine heartfelt love and understanding of the material, what del Toro really nails here is the fine art of flawless casting. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein is exemplary and is basically born to play a mad scientist ( sorry for the nerdy aside but Disney needs to do a remake of THE BLACK HOLE (’79) pronto and pay Isaac anything he wants to portray Dr Hans Reinhart) and Jacob Elordi is such an inspired choice to play the skulking, otherworldly, monstrous yet beguiling creature. And of course, as the emotional, ethereal sympathetic heart of the tale, Mia Goth is a no-brainer whose name alone basically underlines her automatic invite to the party. Heck, even Christoph Waltz seems to have sprouted organically out of the stunning sets. There’s enough liberties taken to keep things interesting, and enough loving salutes to honor the timelessness of the work and it’s just a fine piece of art and possibly the best thing del Toro has done (barring possibly PAN’S LABYRINTH; I’m kinda shruggy on SHAPE OF WATER and I saw DEVIL’S BACKBONE in a theater with no air-conditioning and I’m still grouchy about it). Here’s hoping his long gestating adaption of H. P. LOVECRAFT’s SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH is not far behind.
I noticed Tubi original MATCH getting some positive feedback online but didn’t take it seriously until I saw it was directed by Danishka Esterhazy who delivered the surprisingly good SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (2021) remake and the more amusing than expected THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE (2019). I’m glad I checked it out and I’d like to spoil something for anyone who might be sitting on the fence about giving it a go. MATCH, which has the set up of a “date from hell” movie is also secretly a mutant monster movie in the same vein as my eighties faves THE FUNHOUSE (’81), THE UNSEEN (’81) and HUMONGOUS (’82). I give that semi-spoiler fact away because I know I would have run to the flick a lot sooner if I myself had known that. MATCH is pretty gross, kinda nauseating, semi-sleazy, hard to swallow, borderline ridiculous and downright agitating at times (due to a wide array of bad decisions made by its frustrating characters) but it's also a highly entertaining grindhouse throwback with some goofy, off the wall BARBARIAN (2022)-like charm. You might want to bring a barf bag but you could certainly do a lot worse and the Tubi price of zero dollars is impossible to beat.
Dan Trachtenberg injected much needed new life into the PREDATOR franchise in 2022 with the outstanding PREY, continued his upgrading with the animated PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS earlier this year and has now somehow raised the bar even higher with PREDATOR BADLANDS. This wild world building sci-fi horror hybrid offers all the kinetic action and pulse pounding suspense of Jon McTiernan’s 1987 classic and then ices the fresh take cake with characters that grow and deepen, wondrous vistas and habitation never witnessed before, amiable humor and gratifying comradery. Baked right in are meaningful themes regarding the value of chosen family, the power of rejecting inherited identity, the advantage of cooperation over division, and it's all tied with a bow of earned honor, redemption and self fulfillment. I’m guessing not everyone is going to go along with the franchise’s newfound sense of soul and willful leaning toward the benefits of empathy but for me, this too scarce element takes an already entertaining series and makes it all the richer and more satisfying.
Dimitrius koloamatangi portrays Dek, a broken fang-faced black sheep Yautja who is fierce as hell and yet still hasn’t earned his stripes according to his ruthless, code obsessed clan. In order to prove his meddle, he goes on a WIZARD OF OZ-like journey to an eye-popping, perilous planet in search of an indomitable trophy and in a nutshell, reluctantly learns that the real trophy is the legless synthetics, bug eyed hobgoblins and helpful shoulder space eels we meet along the way. Elle Fanning is ditzy discarded rag doll perfection as abandoned Weyland Yutoni skin job "Thei" whose knowledge of the surroundings Dek uses as a “tool” and whose rose-colored misconception of her missing allies nearly leads to their ruin. It’s incredible how much expression (both determined and exasperated) Koloamatangi is able to convey through his crustacean visage and Fanning is an ideal idealistic comic foil yin to his stringent Yautja yang. It is said there are exactly zero human characters in this movie and boy, did I not miss them one bit. I also heard that some fans were opposed to the movies PG-13 rating and I have to say, I never even thought about or noticed that. It seemed plenty violent and gore strewn to me.
No matter how you slice and dice it, Trachtenberg is heroically saving the long running series from chasing its own tail in circles and broadening it in commendable ways few could have ever predicted. Here’s hoping Dek, Thia and company have many more adventures ahead and you can count me to gleefully follow them wherever they may go.
Kindertrauma Funhouse
Horror Inspirations:: By Author Matt Forgit
Hello, beautiful, awesome, and brilliant Kindertrauma people!
My name is Matt Forgit. I’m the author of It’s Always Halloween Here, How to be a Professional Mourner, The Felicitous, and You Better Watch Out. I am also a longtime fan and reader of this amazing website, as well as a lifelong horror geek. In honor of my newest release, It’s Always Halloween Here, my friends here have graciously allowed me to write about the influences and inspirations for my writing.
Truth be told, although I write horror novels that feature slashers, ghosts, gore, and gruesome events, I am a giant chicken. I love horror and love to be scared, until it’s 3 a.m. I hear every noise in the house, convinced a serial killer or angry spirit has come to take me away! Yet there has always been something about the feeling of fear, dread, and fright that is exciting and inspiring to me. Horror explores many themes, whether it be emotional, mental, physical, or psychological, as well as allows us to release some of our fears.
I was a lonely, nerdy, uncool kid growing up. I did not have any friends, nor did I have an interest in typical “boy” things like sports or hunting (which is a crime as a boy in a small town). I was relentlessly bullied daily and felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere. (Note: Don’t get out your Kleenex for my sob story. I turned out okay. I have lots of love and support, and a good therapist, in my adulthood). Horror became home, and provided me comfort, catharsis, and excitement. Horror fueled my imagination, gave me trailblazing final girls to look up to, and a well of endless stories tied to mythology, folklore, urban legends, and campfire tales. Many of the things that influenced my writing share similar concepts and ideologies. I was really drawn to that terrible/wonderful feeling of fear, uncovering a mystery, learning how to be strong and fight back against enemies and evildoers, and characters who have friends, family, and a community. It was, quite earnestly, a savior to me as a young person, and my love for horror has only grown.
I like to call my books “B-movie schlock,” but I hope they’re also scary, nostalgic, distinctive, and heartfelt. With that, here’s what gives me inspiration!
Nancy Drew Mysteries. As a kid, I received The Mystery of the Glowing Eye as a gift, and that was all it took. Mystery, intrigue, the search for truth and justice, and a smart, capable, resourceful heroine? I was sold. Nancy broke the restraints of her time period and emerged as a resilient, inquisitive, and indefatigable sleuth, just like I wanted to be. I wanted people to call me and ask for my help in finding lost treasures, missing people, and to investigate haunted houses and spooky locales. I longed to be known as Matt Forgit, Boy Sleuth, but unfortunately, I was more Boy Dork, who loved pop divas, reading, and snacks.
Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Choose Your Own Adventures, and YA thrillers. I grew up during a magical time when I could go to my local bookstore, B. Dalton Booksellers, and find so many treasures, filled with terror, creepy locales, and events from the past that come back to haunt us in the present. Christopher Pike wrote teenaged characters who were taken seriously and had real feelings, thoughts, and personalities. R.L. Stine’s Fear Street kept me captivated with tales of young people in jeopardy and a cursed town. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark not only had terrifying, vivid pictures that scare me to this day, like the ghastly visage of the woman in the haunted house, but the stories themselves were total nightmare fuel. Point and Scholastic steadily churned out new thrillers for young adults, turning everything from prom dresses, letters, lifeguards, and Jack-O-Lanterns into possessed, deadly foes. Choose Your Own Adventure would actually have endings where you, the reader, were killed. In one of the stories, my scuba companions and I were surrounded by tiger sharks, and, well, I did not appreciate that one bit.
USA’s Up All Night and Saturday Nightmares. Once upon a time, there was an incredible channel called the USA Network, which played B-movies on Friday and Saturday nights. Every weekend, I would stay up late to watch every terrible and amazing film they would play, many of which are classics in my heart. Spookies? I love you forever. Demon Wind? I would watch ten sequels to that. Doom Asylum? I could watch on repeat. Neon Maniacs? I want the backstory and trading card for every one of them. Dracula’s Dog? I want Dracula’s cat, hamster, zebra, and koala. I looked forward to every movie. These were made with no budgets to speak of, but with sheer ambition, determination, and passion, which is exactly what it’s like as an indie horror author. I’m not diving into my cellar filled with gold coins like Scrooge McDuck, though I can dream.
Friday the 13th Part 3. This was the movie that hit it all home. I begged my Dad to let me watch this on Fox Channel 5, a local station. It changed everything for me. I went from the light, kid-friendly horrors into the deep end of it all. A hulking, mute killer with no mercy or sympathy, an isolated location, and a very brave, determined final girl in the great Chris Higgins. Horror staples, that I didn’t know were staples back then, that are now time-honored traditions.
Friday the 13th: The Series, Monsters, She-Wolf of London, Tales from the Darkside, Freddy’s Nightmares, and Sightings. Syndicated series with small budgets but big imaginations and creativity, relying on unconventional methods of storytelling and talented writers, directors, and actors to tell their tales. Sightings, while the outlier on this list because it was presented as fact, filled my mind with “true” stories and mustachioed psychics, and I never questioned its validity. Horror was everywhere, from the mundane to the supernatural, and I loved it all. Cursed antiques, werewolves, killer dreams, aliens, cryptids, and more. My imagination sparked every time I saw a new story idea, folktale come to life, and clever way to tell a story to an audience despite limited resources.
April Fool’s Day and Chopping Mall. The first two horror movies I ever rented on VHS, and the first ones I ever saw that weren’t edited for television viewings. Likable, fun characters and groovy settings, threats lurking around every corner, and memorable dialogue and stalking scenes. Not to mention the great Amy Steel and Kelli Maroney, two women who have earned their place in the Final Girls Hall of Fame™.
Halloween, Killer Party, The Fog, Night of the Demons, and Black Christmas. Thanks to my local Mom-and-Pop video stores, I spent many hours perusing the eye-catching covers to so many videocassettes. However, some of the movies have stayed with me for many reasons. Halloween and Black Christmas showed me that horror doesn’t have to be loud or aggressive. Sometimes, it’s quiet, patient, and peeking around the corner. Night of the Demons is raucous, fun, and had no loftier goals than to showcase incredible, practical special effects. The Fog is moody, atmospheric, contemplative, and filled with creeping dread. Killer Party is three movies in one, featuring three engaging leads, especially my nerd queen Vivia. They all share one thing in common, though. They have style. They were made by people who cared about what they were making and put real effort into what they created. That is exactly what I want readers to feel when they read one of my books. Even if you don’t enjoy my work (though, in the words of Stephanie Tanner, “How rude!”), I hope it comes through that on each page, I put thought, effort, and care into every word and scenario.
I hope I didn’t lose everyone! There are probably about another two hundred movies, television shows, and books I could go on about, but I’ll simply give an “honorable mention” here to some of them. A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Strangers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Popcorn, Prom Night 4: Deliver Us from Evil, Session 9, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, My Bloody Valentine, The Changeling, Alien, The Others, Jaws, Insidious, Beetlejuice, Night of the Comet, The Conjuring, Clue, The Goonies, Gremlins, MST3K, Unsolved Mysteries, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jan Harold Brunvand’s urban legends series, and Weird N.J. have had great impacts on my work, for various reasons. Oh, and the Sleestaks from Land of the Lost. Those screeching, lumbering, green humanoids of horror. They showed me what true terror was, and I still hate them, but love them.
Thank you, Kindertrauma, for having me. And thank you, everybody, for reading! My new book, It’s Always Halloween Here, is available on Amazon, as are my other novels. Wishing everyone good health, love, happiness, success, and lots of spooky, creepy fun!
Black Phone 2
Apparently, according to “science” Scott Derrickson has two films (SINISTER & THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE) lounging out in the top ten list of the scariest films ever made. I’m not sure if THE BLACK PHONE 2 will ever join them but it definitely belongs on a list of great sequels to movies that didn’t need one. It takes a certain amount of bravery to shuffle the cards in a follow up movie due to the likelihood of failure ( see SINISTER 2, BRAHMS: THE BOY 2 & M3GHAN 2) but when it works the results can be glorious (see THE ORPHAN : FIRST KILL , 28 YEARS LATER & of course my boo HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH). I may be extra partial to films that take place in the early eighties (sorta swooned at an early image of the NIGHT FLIGHT logo blazing on a big box TV) and I may be chronically susceptible to snowbound horror (witnessing this film’s solid high five to CURTAINS (’83) is a high point) and I may have an issue with experiencing euphoric dopamine blasts when beautiful music and haunting imagery are combined ( I got the goosebumps when this film played PINK FLOYD’S “The Wall” during a driving through a blizzard scene) so essentially this flick pushed all the right buttons for me. Sorry, but it’s legit gorgeous to my eyes, much of it (the otherworldly dream sequences ) is filmed on smudgy, scratchy, damaged and grainy 8mm film and the visual texture is such a delicious blast of complex flavor in this time of sharp, cringy high definition ugliness.
Elfish (I'm respectfully talkin' LORD OF THE RINGS, not Keebler) Mason Thames is back as Finn, the troubled survivor of the the first film and he’s instantly likable for therapeutically beating the hell out of a would-be bully. He’s joined by his sister Gwen (scene stealer Madeleine McGraw) who swiftly squashes her sidekick status to become a true force of nature. Cleverly, Miguel Mora who portrayed the deceased Robin in the first film throws some glasses on and transforms into his surviving brother who catches feelings for Gwen. The three embark on a journey to a mostly abandoned campground snuggled in a mountain surrounded, CGI-enhanced Colorado countryside during a ferocious snowstorm (!, this my jam) to unravel a very surreal, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (!, also my jam) quandary involving the perplexing impossible return of the smiley-masked child snatcher known as “The Grabber” (portrayed expertly by Maya Hawke’s poppa). Spooky ghost kids abound, threatening static infested phone calls are made and invisible forces yeet our stalwart heroes at nearly every turn.
These days many a horror film contends with the aftermath of trauma but rarely do they provide solutions or dare to confront the anger and rage that survivors deals with. BLACK PHONE 2 with much thanks to the non phoned-in performances of it’s two leads, addresses these issues in truly cathartic ways. It does sorta lean to a troubling “magic Jesus” area at times but it balances that out with a hateful sanctimonious lady getting read for filth so I’ll let it slide. Like almost all of Derrikson’s films there’s a implausibility issue but it happens so late in the game here that it doesn’t make a dent. The atmosphere is awesome, the lead characters are severely root-worthy, the supporting characters (nice to see THE NUN’s Demian Bicher, IT’s James Ransom, RAVENOUS’ Jeremy Davis and up and comer Arianna Rivas) hold their own, and there’s an overall pleasing balance of old school scares, earned humor and heartfelt resolution ( Gwen receives a phone call from the other side that should leave anyone with a heartbeat verklempt). Did I mention that the snowbound cabins depicted have heaters that glow a beautiful neon red? It’s stunning. BLACK PHONE 2 is a dreamy stone cold keeper in my (phone) book, a creative victory for sequels everywhere and a handsome, semi-artsy nostalgic time capsule of a much missed era. I’m not sure if it’s superior to its predecessor, but it surely can boast having way more re-play mojo. Also, may I just say as a society we lost a lot when we lost landlines and phone booths? I really miss them. I hate my smart phone and it clearly hates me.
Good Boy (2025) :: By Mickster
A special note to animal lovers: take tissues because if you are like me, you are going to need them. I made the mistake of not bringing tissues, and my poor t-shirt and jeans paid the price for that rookie mistake.
This movie is difficult to talk about without spoiling it, so I will be as careful as possible. Indy is the faithful and loving dog to Todd (Shane Jensen-voice), his human. Indy would do anything to protect Todd from whatever forces threatening him. Indy is the main character, and the audience sees things from his perspective. The dialogue is kept to a minimum in Good Boy because our protagonist is a dog. The dialogue the audience does receive is to the side; many conversations are on the phone between Todd and his sister, Vera (Arielle Friedman-voice). The movie begins with a sweet montage of Indy as a pup, and Indy’s blooming relationship with Todd. Early on, Todd decides to take Indy to his deceased grandpa’s home out in the middle of nowhere, where it seems to be perpetually raining. Indy, even before they get to the house, notices a dark, shadowy figure outside the car; this is when Todd is opening the gate to the property. This is just the beginning of Indy’s experiences with strange shadows, noises, and unease. As the audience is experiencing everything through Indy’s eyes, the logic in what he sees comes from his canine instincts. At times, Indy’s perspective seems like “dream logic,” where things don’t quite make sense. The only other characters in the movie are Todd’s grandpa (genre favorite-Larry Fessenden-seen on VHS tapes), Grandpa’s faithful dog, Bandit (also seen on VHS), and a neighbor (Stuart Rudin) who lives relatively nearby (the neighbor provides some exposition about his grandpa and the surrounding area). Indy senses Todd is in some kind of danger, and he doesn’t know how to help him. At the same time, Todd’s personality changes; he becomes harsh towards Indy, which Indy doesn’t understand. No matter what happens, be it scary apparition or an unusually aggressive Todd, Indy stops at nothing to try to help Todd.
Indy is indeed a good boy who deserves all the praise he is getting for his extraordinary performance. The writer/director, Ben Leonberg, also deserves quite a bit of praise for painstakingly working on this unusual film for three years. The experimental nature of the film reminded me of Skinamarink (2022) in that it was shot from the perspective of the dog, whereas Skinamarink was shot from the perspective of small children. However, Good Boy differs by recognizing that the film shouldn’t “overstay” its welcome. The 73-minute runtime makes way more sense than Skinamarink’s hour and forty minutes.
I give Good Boy two paws up!
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