CELEBRATING ITS 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY…
Welcome to Horror Press, a blog created by horror fans for horror fans.
From its beginnings in ancient folklore to Gothic fiction’s rise in popularity in the 18th century to the fantastically gruesome books and films we know today, the horror genre has a long history of storytelling that audiences have loved for generations.
Here at Horror Press, we want to keep horror-related content alive through diverse takes on today’s representation of the genre. We’ve created a space for fans to connect and share their opinions on horror in its many forms, from movies and TV shows to video games.
Horror Press is committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for our members to share their voices. We hope to facilitate open-minded conversations through all of the fresh and fun perspectives our contributors provide through reviews, articles, and more.
Over the past year, Horror Press has brought fans some fantastic articles, reviews, and more! If you haven’t visited their site yet, here are a few articles and reviews to start with…
Streaming Service Showdown Shudder vs Screambox
Today more people are going “unplugged,” opting for streaming services rather than cable. Megaliths HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+ are considered the best streaming services and appeal to horror fans by offering titles such as Freaky, American Horror Story, Stranger Things, and Hocus Pocus 2, respectively.
But lovers of all things horror can find a home in their own scary streaming services. Though there are many options for horror streaming, Shudder and Screambox demand our attention… (continue reading)
M3gan Review: M0th3r has Arrived
Load up those gifs and ready your fingertips because a new horror icon has landed.
She’s M3gan, but after a viral marketing campaign that had everyone, including your favorite aunt, calling her “Mother,” you already knew that. Directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), with a story by Malignant duo James Wan and Akela Cooper (who also penned the script), this meme has quite the pedigree. The hype train is real, and while M3GAN does an excellent job at sprinkling in iconic moments and one-liners while maintaining a relatable thematic throughline, it does so at the expense of a compelling plot. Its charm, however, is that despite containing story beats you can clock by watching the trailer, M3GAN is simply too much fun to care… (continue reading)
In Memory of the Video Rental Store
Cinemas are for those who know where they’re going. But the video store? The video store is for the wanderers who are still looking. Or, were still looking.
From a very young age, I, like many people, was in the clutches of a business nobody even knew was doomed to collapse yet. At least, nobody I knew knew, and certainly, you didn’t know. We were children, and children rarely know much about themselves, let alone the intricacies of a market on the brink of an unknowing death at the hands of an unknowable, unfeeling force. A force that would take all the whimsy and love out of picking a film and replacing it with scrolling and idly zoning out as you watched the screen.
I learned quickly to love the video store. I hadn’t yet grown to love the comic books that would line the boxes in my room, or developed the skills to play with others, but I did have a video store on my block. It was a downright frigid spot in the sweltering heat of the summer, and that was all it needed to be… (continue reading)
Choose the Wilderness, the Fantasy of Escape in ‘Let the Right One In’
“I must go and live, or stay and die.”
This message, left by a vampire for her new companion, is scrawled in children’s handwriting but its words hold the pained weight of a lonesome immortal life. The words serve as more than an ultimatum for the young human boy, providing the philosophical cornerstone of 2008’s Swedish indie darling, Let the Right One In. The dilemma described within is as clear as it is universal. Is it best to live outside society as your true self or drown under the pressures of its rigid demands? Violence awaits at either end of this forked road but true freedom will be awarded to only those who choose correctly.
The vampire myth has enjoyed many phases of life since its inception… (continue reading)
Jakobs Wife and the Emancipation of Barbara Crampton
It’s a tale as old as time: A stale marriage breeds not only children but underappreciation, resentment, and a lack of identity. In the 2021 film Jakob’s Wife, the tale of Anne Fedder – deliciously played by indie horror legend Barbara Crampton – depicts a mousy pastor’s wife. She fills her days with menial tasks and a banal devotion to her husband, Jakob. His disregard for any purpose of Anne’s other than service toward their household and his higher calling is not abusive, yet it destroys any spirit she once had in her youth; it’s as if she’s been hypnotized by mediocrity. When the return of a former flame tempts Anne into the beginnings of an extramarital tryst, she is bitten by The Master (Bonnie Aarons, another horror icon) and transforms into a vampire. This descent into gore and darkness ironically ignites Anne’s enlightenment, revealing the path not taken and a life she can really sink her fangs into. And while her transformation from timid spouse into the Elvira of Middle America might resonate with many women and marriages in need of a shakeup, it’s also symbolic of Crampton’s journey back to the genre in the early 2010s after a decade-long hiatus… (continue reading)
More must read articles and reviews include…
Phasmophobia: It Knows What Scares You
Imagining Aliens Through the Lenses of Horror and Reality
Carrie & I: The Need for Queer Safety
The Evil Dead: A Meditation on the Five Elements of Horror
Terrifier 2 Review: Art the Clown is Solidified as a Horror Icon
Horror Press has an army of contributors like Luis Pomades-Diaz, Alex Warrick, Tiffany Taylor, Amanda Nevada DeMel, Bash Ortega, Eli BadCritic, and many more. We hope that you’ll check out some of these articles, and become a fan of the site as they venture into their second year!
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