The Stepford Wives: Book vs the 1975 Film!

Posted on by

I was shopping at Half Price Books when I came across a hardcover 1st printing of “The Stepford Wives” published in 1972. Ira Levin’s follow-up to his hugely successful “Rosemary’s Baby” (p. 1967) may not have shared the same level of achievement as its predecessor but made its own cultural impact nonetheless. “The Stepford Wives” is a 145-page, satirical novella touching on the rise of feminism, a woman’s role in the home, as well as their husbands’ fear of losing control. It would inspire two films of the same name: a serious adaptation in 1975 and a more comedic rendering in 2004 starring Nicole Kidman. The first movie even inspired three indirect made-for-TV sequels – Revenge of The Stepford Wives (1980), The Stepford Children (1987), and The Stepford Husbands (1996). Despite receiving mixed reviews, the word “Stepford” has since entered our pop culture lexicon to describe someone acting perfect, phony, or subservient. Having seen both screen versions, I was interested in reading the book and did so in the span of one chilly, Chicago afternoon. 

So how does it compare to the 1975 film? Anyone not worried about SPOLIERS can read on and find out…

Continue reading →

Andrew Neiderman’s PIN: An Above Average Paperback from Hell

Posted on by

Most of the vintage horror paperbacks in my collection are a lot more fun to look at than they are to read. I should know. I plowed through as many as I could last year before landing myself in a reading rut; fatigued from an overdose of absurd plotlines and bad writing. Lately, I’ve had more success with modern novels while peppering a few old pulpy Paperbacks from Hell in-between. My latest choice, PIN by Andrew Neiderman (1981), proved a pleasant surprise. Despite featuring many of the fantastical elements of your typical ‘80s horror paperback, there are interesting psychological twists as well. Consequently, PIN is more sophisticated than many in its genre.

Continue reading →

No Exit: Taylor Adams’ Book vs the Movie

Posted on by

One of my favorite recent reads was “No Exit” by Taylor Adams. This fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller wasn’t just a universal favorite on BookTube but guaranteed to pull you out of any reading slump. It only took me a couple of days to finish and I remember thinking how the story would make for an excellent film adaptation. Little did I know that HULU was way ahead of me; dropping their screen rendition late last month. I was excited by the news but also worried the live-action version wouldn’t do justice to the written word. Before I break things down, be warned this post is loaded with heavy SPOILERS for both the book and film. This is geared for those who’ve already read the book so, if you haven’t done so already, I suggest you stop reading this blog and immediately seek out the novel. I think the less you know going in, the more fun the ride will be, and this comparison will certainly be waiting for you upon your return.

Continue reading →

The Horror/Thriller Books I Read in 2021

Posted on by

My New Year’s Resolution for 2022 was the same one I had for 2021 – Read more books! You see, despite having a small library in my apartment, I’d been neglecting them in favor of zoning out in front of the TV. On the rare occasions I cracked one open, I’d find myself dozing after just a few pages. Clearly, my frenetic job coupled with social media had zapped my attention span and it was high time I did something about it. So, this time last year, I signed on on Goodreads and challenged myself to read twenty-five books in 2021. Spoiler alert: I didn’t succeed. The official number of books I completed was eighteen garnering me 72% on Goodreads. But hey, that’s still passing, right? Not surprisingly, most of them were horror or thriller stories and the ones I’ll be focusing on today.

Continue reading →

Higby & Snyder’s “Pizza Man” Delivers!

Posted on by

I enjoy a fun horror novel and am a lifelong fan of comic books. So when I received a copy of  Pizza Man: Or, the Pizza That Crawled Out of My A-Hole by Bryan Higby and Rick Snyder I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative was so vibrant, it’s about the closest you’ll get to a comic book without any visuals. If you’re looking for a story that never takes itself too seriously and maintains a consistent level of adult humor than this is page turner is for you.

Continue reading →