Steven Shinder
Bio
Author of fantasy horror comedy novel Lemons Loom Like Rain, which is available on Amazon. You can also read excerpts at stevenshinder.com and check out facebook.com/StevenShinderStorytelling.
Stories (81)
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Did 'Seed of Chucky' Introduce This 'Cult of Chucky' Idea?
Released in 2004, Seed of Chucky is often considered the worst film in the Chucky franchise. Part of that is due to its increased reliance on comedy over horror. And while the next installment, Curse of Chucky, could have easily done the typical route of retconning the previous film (and more) out of continuity, it actually acknowledged that all previous films still happened. This is very refreshing when we have Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Terminator sequels that, rather than trying to make everything that came before work, would rather take the easy way out and say some of it didn't happen.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
'Chucky' TV Show Dropped the Ball with Nica and Needs to Do Better
When Chucky returned to our screens via 2013's Curse of Chucky, we were introduced to a new protagonist: Nica Pierce. Portrayed by Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona Dourif, Nica was revealed to be the child of a woman whom human Charles Lee Ray obsessed over before becoming a doll. Nica's paraplegia is due to human Chucky stabbing her pregnant mother Sarah, who, along with the rest of the adults in Nica's family, gets killed in the film, with Nica framed for the murders. Her fate was something different for the franchise. Unlike original protagonist Andy Barclay, she did not get a typical victory.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
'Chucky' Season Finale Fixes This 'Curse of Chucky' Plot Hole
This week, the first season of the Chucky TV series wrapped up, leaving fans with a lot to talk about as they await the confirmed second season. While the show pushed the narrative forward in the franchise's in-universe timeline, it also provided flashbacks shedding more light on series villains Charles Lee Ray and Tiffany Valentine. However, this is not the first time that the franchise provided such flashbacks. One film in particular contained a flashback sequence that, in the eyes of some fans, added wrinkles to Charles' backstory.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
What Happened During Andy's Phone Call In 'Chucky' Series Premiere?
In the series premiere of Chucky, series protagonist Jake Wheeler gets a call from someone inquiring about the Chucky doll that he has acquired. Longtime fans of the franchise guessed it to be original Child's Play protagonist Andy Barclay (portrayed once again by Alex Vincent), and this became evident very quickly. However, as the season has gone on, Andy's phone call feels a bit odd.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
'Chucky' May Have Changed When 'Cult of Chucky' Takes Place
When it comes to continuity, the Child's Play franchise under Don Mancini (I'm not counting the remake MGM did without him) has done a much better job than other iconic horror franchises. Each Psycho sequel felt like it retconned the previous one. We've seen how The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween franchises have retconned or flat out wiped away previous entries on more than one occasion, at times wanting to only acknowledge the original film as canon. And we've seen how Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street have gotten reboots that got no sequels and felt like dead ends. While Hellraiser has yet to be rebooted, there's not much continuity between each entry, which can feel pretty standalone. After over 30 years, the story of the original Chucky is still going strong, pushing the story forward without wiping away previous entries.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
'The Quest' – Yes Music to My Ears
A new Yes studio album without Chris Squire was always going to be a hard sell for some people. Squire had been on every Yes studio album prior to this new one, titled The Quest. He appeared on 2014’s Heaven & Earth, which did not get the best reception from fans, to put it simply. When he passed away in on June 27, 2015 due to leukemia, fans were in shock. But the band carried on, with Squire’s longtime friend and collaborator Billy Sherwood fulfilling his wishes of taking up the Yes bassist role. He carried on with his fellow Yes members: vocalist Jon Davison, keyboardist Geoff Downes, guitarist Steve Howe, and drummer Alan White. There was a lot of pressure in terms of touring without Squire, and eventual reports of a potential new studio album surely meant more pressure. There were certainly many challenges for the band over the last several years.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Beat
Tony Kaye: 'End of Innocence' Review
Keyboardist Tony Kaye is best known as the founding keyboardist of the progressive rock band Yes. He was on their first three albums and returned during their "Rabin years" after working with the likes of David Bowie, Badger, and Badfinger. In the mid-1990s, he retired from music.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Beat
Cancelled Or Ongoing, These Titles Are Worth Your Time
People say that they want to watch new things. However, whether people care to admit it or not, they tend to make selections based on at least some degree of familiarity. First, I will list a few titles that I am sure many people love. Afterward, for each one, I will recommend a familiar title that perhaps may not have been on your radar.
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Geeks
Drawn By The Waterfall
Jeremiah sat in his study, alone, without any music. He had a collection, but he had not listened to it in years. Drawn by the waterfall, he looked at his mantle. The framed photograph depicted him by a waterfall. His past self, his beard less gray than it was in the present, standing on the far-left side of the photo. His wife stood on the far-right side. There was so much space between them. He knew what was between them…
By Steven Shinder5 years ago in Horror
'Justice League Dark: Apokolips War' - The Endgame for the DCAMU
May 5 saw the release of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the final installment of the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU) that was created as a result of the events in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. The fifteenth film in the series, Apokolips War feels like the culmination of seven years of animated storytelling. It incorporates members of the teams whom fans have followed in this universe: Justice League, Justice League Dark, Suicide Squad, and Teen Titans.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Geeks
Would We Have Watched 'Star Trek: Picard' If Picard Were Not In It?
The first season of the CBS All Access TV series Star Trek: Picard has wrapped up, stirring a lot of online fan discussion. Throughout the season, fans conversed back and forth about what they liked and disliked about the series, as is to be expected. In various online threads, people sometimes asked whether or not anyone would be watching the show if it were not focused on Picard. This question has been asked seemingly as a way to evaluate whether the story of this series would have been good enough to carry itself without a familiar character like Picard. My answer to this question is, "No," but for reasons that might not be what one might expect.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Futurism
'Birds of Prey' - A BOP to the Top!
Expectations To dive into my thoughts on the Birds of Prey film, I suppose that I should go back to the beginning by talking about my expectations. My earliest experience with any Birds of Prey team was the 2002 live-action show, which included a more grounded Dr. Harleen Quinzel as a villain. The team consisted of a wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon who's gone from Batgirl to Oracle, Batman and Catwoman's daughter Helena Kyle (Huntress), and Dinah Redmond (Black Canary). Overall, I thought that the show was okay.
By Steven Shinder6 years ago in Geeks
