Nathan Holic

Author: nholic

  • Wizard of Gore

    So the name of the movie is Wizard of Gore, and I know what you’re thinking: why would you ever rent a movie called Wizard of Gore and expect it to be any good? That’s a valid question, I suppose, right up there with, “Why did you buy Redneck Zombies on VHS when you were…

  • Bridge of Sighs

    Richard Russo again explores the decay of small-town life in America, and although he’s done this brilliantly before (Empire Falls, obviously, went over pretty well, right?), I don’t think he’s ever hit us over the head with his ideas on why small towns have failed as he does in Bridge of Sighs. And I still…

  • The Wettest County in the World

    A year or two ago, I published a piece of fiction in The Saranac Review which alternated between traditional text and illustrated comic page. You can actually find a link on my “links” page to my post-publication interview with the editors, where I discuss some of my thoughts on mixed-media literature. The Fiction Editor of…

  • Fragmentation, and Burrow Press

    Full disclosure: I’ve long wanted a small-press publisher here in the city of Orlando. We’re an international destination city, a major hub for tourists and convention attendees and even for travelers throughout the state. We’ve got a world-class airport, world-class restaurants, world-class theme parks, world-class hotels, a world-class university, but here’s the problem: it’s all…

  • I Just Want My Pants Back

    I didn’t have high hopes for David J. Rosen’s I Just Want My Pants Back. I remember putting it on my Amazon wish list several years back, when I was first reading about “fratire” and searching through Amazon’s unending hyperlinked recommendations, one after the next. This was 2007 or 2008, maybe, and I had the…

  • Cabin Fever 2

    So…there’s a special place in my heart for direct-to-video horror sequels. And I can’t really explain why. Maybe it’s because, when I was younger, my parents used to give me a wad of cash and let me wander the old “Video Giant” and pick out horror movies in October as part of their “seven movies…

  • Best Worst Movie

    “Best Worst Movie” is too good to be true, a documentary about one of the most ridiculous movies ever created…And because I’d never seen “Troll 2” (the best worst movie that this documentary profiles), every excerpt and every reference was made that much more ridiculous. You’ll watch a scene from the film and you’ll think,…

  • The Box (2009)

      It’s tough to be super-critical of “The Box,” because it’s the sort of movie that really does take chances, and it really wants to be the sort of horror movie whose story offers deep commentary on society and culture. Most horror movies are satisfied, after all, with a mildly interesting concept (or a killer/slasher…

  • Paranormal Activity II, and the Motivations of Demons

    I’ve learned not to expect too much from horror sequels. Last week, after all, I watched Lost Boys: The Thirst, and I don’t need to write a review to tell you how that one turned out. And anyone remember Blair Witch 2, which was much slicker than the original but which took that franchise into…

  • Nathan’s New “Nightmare”

    The original “Nightmare on Elm Street” series had a strangely profound impact on me when I was a kid. The third film (“Dream Warriors”) was the first R-rated horror movie that I was allowed to watch on my own, thanks to a birthday gift of a VCR, and a few blank VHS tapes on which…