This week, my essay on the kitschy horror movie, The Tingler was shortlisted as a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award in the short non-fiction category, and I’m elated and humbled by the support of the HWA for my film criticism, and enormously pleased to appear alongside such smart and creative people across the final ballot. To be honored for my academic work on horror cinema means a lot to me. The Horror Writers Association is voting now, with the award to be given at StokerCon 2025 in Stamford. I’ll be there!
As noted in a previous blog post, my article essentially argues that horror movies are similar to musicals, in the way they solicit screams and provide catharsis. You can read it for free at the horror film journal, What Sleeps Beneath.
I’ve also learned that the director’s cut of The Balloon, the short film based on my very first original screenplay, shot by Stephanie Swift and crew from S2 the S Pro, is picking up prizes right out of the gate on the festival circuit. It just won “Best Psychological Film” at the World Film Festival at Cannes! Also picked up the prize for Best Actor (Rick Dutrow) and Best Female Director of a Short Film (Stephanie Swift). Here’s hoping it gets screened at many locations, so you can see this fantastic movie — it is exclusively showing at festivals and isn’t (yet?) available online.
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