The Golden Child

Eddie Murphy has made plenty of odd films. But, at least his odd film of the 1980s was odd in an interesting way, not because he wore a fat suit. The Golden Child (1986) is odd, because it blends action, comedy, fantasy, and elements of Chinese mysticism. Sound familiar? Yes, Big Trouble in Little China … Continue reading

The horror years

When I was six years old my mother took myself, her best friend and a station wagon full of children to see Gremlins (1984) at a nearby drive-in theatre. We lay out on the roof, full bags of candy spread out before us. The other children were older than me. I wanted to be brave. And when it came time to drop my mother’s best friend and the other children back off at their home—which sat far back from the street—I remember being left alone in our dark car for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the void below my dangling feet, sure a gremlin’s face would slowly reveal itself. In short, Gremlins destroyed little six year old me. But it also began a lifelong fascination with horror films that was partially nurtured by a pre-cable, metro Detroit television staple: Channel twenty’s Thriller Double Feature.

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