Jenny Ashford is a horror, true crime, and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. Her most recent books are a three-volume true crime compilation collectively known as The Faceless Villain: A Collection of the Eeriest Unsolved Murders of the Twentieth Century. Volume One was published in 2017, Volume Two in 2018, and Volume Three in 2019. Her other books include four paranormal nonfiction books: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena, The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist (with Tom Ross), House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist (both with Steve Mera); as well as three horror novels, Red Menace, Bellwether, and The Five Poisons; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; and a graphic novel, The Tenebrist. A second edition of The Associated Villainies was published in 2019, featuring four new stories, an enhanced print layout, and an audio book version. A second edition of The Five Poisons was published in 2020. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4. Her horror blog, Goddess of Hellfire, contains writing news, short stories and articles, and her reviews and opinions on horror films and books. She also co-hosts a podcast with Tom Ross called 13 O'Clock, on which they discuss true crime, unexplained mysteries, paranormal weirdness, horror movies and books, food, and other fun, creepy topics. They recently collaborated on a 13 O'Clock cookbook. Jenny's graphic design work can be seen on everything from books and business cards to posters and packaging. She runs an online store called Gravecake selling products with her designs, and also has a board-and-card game concern called Giallo Games, which produces games based around the beloved Italian horror/crime genre, among many other themes.
The so-called “rape-revenge” subgenre reached its peak in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the two films I want to talk about are probably the most cited and controversial examples of this type of cinema. I have to say right out of the gate that rape is one of the most stomach-turning things for me … More Rape-Revenge Double Feature: I Spit On Your Grave (1978) and Ms .45 (1981)
Most horror and suspense aficionados of a certain age (ahem) fondly remember classic spooky and suspenseful television shows from the 1960s, such as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents; all of those programs still have ardent fans to this day, and rightly so. I had seen and loved most episodes of … More Revisiting Thriller with Boris Karloff: Season 1, Episodes 1-6
In the annals of serial killer-dom, John Reginald Christie might not be all that familiar a name to Americans, but he’s absolutely notorious in the UK. The seemingly mild-mannered fellow, known to friends and family as Reg, killed at least eight people in the 1940s—stashing their bodies in and around his Notting Hill, London flat—and … More Movies: 10 Rillington Place (1971)
The late Jack Ketchum (whose real name was Dallas Mayr) is an author I’ve always been a big fan of; his work isn’t for everyone, as it’s usually quite graphic, and focuses on the worst aspects of humanity, delving deep into the depravity lurking in the hearts of men. The Girl Next Door, based on … More Books: Red by Jack Ketchum
I’m sure I’ve mentioned once or twice (or several times) how much I love made-for-TV horror movies from the 1970s. I’m not entirely sure what it is about them; it might just be that they take me back to my childhood and give me a warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia, or it could be that … More Movies: The Norliss Tapes (1973)
We’re back once again on this potentially endless series, as I break down my five favorite horror films released every year since I was born, and I have to say that even though we’re only three posts in, I’ve already hit something of a snag. While 1974 featured at least two iconic classics that will … More My Favorite Horror Movies from Every Year Since I Was Born: 1974
1976’s The House with Laughing Windows (aka La casa dalle finestre che ridono), aside from its completely rad title, is considered a classic of the giallo subgenre, even though many of the more lurid, baroque elements present in the better-known giallo films of Dario Argento and others are notably absent. Directed by Pupi Avati, the movie actually bears … More Movies: The House with Laughing Windows (1976)
Nick Cutter, the horror-focused pseudonym of Canadian fiction writer Craig Davidson, made a big splash in the horror community back in 2014 with his excellent (and unbelievably gruesome) novel The Troop, about a small group of Boy Scouts trapped on an island who must contend with not only a sociopath in their midst, but also … More Books: The Deep by Nick Cutter
Today’s topic of discussion is another book that I just chose randomly from the offerings suggested to me on Kindle Unlimited; my only stipulations for the book I wanted to read were that it be generally highly rated, and be set in the winter (since that’s the season in which I read it). I picked … More Books: Autumn Bleeds Into Winter by Jeff Strand
I’m not sure how exactly I first heard about the Japanese film House (or Hausu) from 1977; it was probably on one of those lists of “crazy horror movies you need to see once in your lifetime,” I’m imagining. It also, I should note, began garnering a much larger cult following around 2009 or so, … More Movies: House (Hausu) (1977)
