Film International, “The Houses That Hooper Built – American Twilight: The Cinema of Tobe Hooper”
“This juxtaposition between some admittedly cheesy films and their serious thematic undercurrents can be jarring, and nowhere is this effect more evident than in Mike Thorn’s ‘Lizard Brain Ouroboros: Human Antiexceptionalism in Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive and Crocodile.’ These films are not the director’s best by a longshot (although the former, his 1976 follow-up to Texas Chain Saw, has enjoyed a cult following), but Thorn skillfully dissects how they illustrate ‘the [triune brain] theory…that human cognition’s roots can be traced to the nonhuman animal world’ (106). The boundary separating these worlds dissolves, and viewers may find themselves rooting more for the so-called ‘monsters’ than the oblivious humans exploiting them.”
Pre-Order American Twilight: The Cinema of Tobe Hooper (Discount Code)
American Twilight: The Cinema of Tobe Hooper, the first comprehensive, academic, peer-reviewed study of Tobe Hooper’s oeuvre, includes Mike Thorn’s essay, “Lizard Brain Ouroboros: Human Antiexceptionalism in Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive and Crocodile.”
Pre-order here and use the discount code WOOAME to get 20% off.
100 Favorite Horror Movies on Night Worms
Today on Night Worms, Mike Thorn shares his 100 favorite horror films.
Darkest Hours author Mike Thorn talks to Josiah Morgan about writing, genre and influences
Josiah Morgan and I have been online acquaintances for several years, bonding initially over our mutual passion for film. I recently read his debut poetry collection Inside the Castle and was stunned by its formal sophistication, thematic complexity and breadth of reference. I sent him a message asking if he would like to publish a chat with me about writing, genre and influences, and he kindly agreed.
Our conversation is now available to read on Kendall Reviews.
Mike Thorn returns to Kendall Reviews to share his favourite horror films from the 2000s
Mike Thorn returns to Kendall Reviews with another fascinating discussion piece on horror cinema. The response to Mike’s first contribution which detailed his 10 favourite horror films from the 2010s was incredible. I’m delighted to welcome Mike back, this time to offer you chronologically his favourite horror films released between 2000 – 2009.
Mike Thorn is the author of the short story collection Darkest Hours. He completed his M.A. in English literature at the University of Calgary. His fiction has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Dark Moon Digest, Behind the Mask – Tales from the Id and Straylight Literary Arts Magazine. His film criticism has appeared recently in MUBI Notebook, The Seventh Row and The Film Stage.
Mike Thorn 