October 2007

The Oscars and Emmys generally tend to ignore horror and science fiction films, but an event this month seeks to finally give those genres their due. Spike and Comic-Con are teaming to bring you Scream 2007, the second annual event that honors the best in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic genres from the past year, airing Oct. 23. The movie 300 tops this year’s nominations with 12, followed by Spider-Man 3 and Grindhouse with 11 each. Members of this year’s advisory board include, among others, Wes Craven (director of A Nightmare on Elm Street); Tim Kring (executive producer and creator […]

I don’t know about you, but the thought of having the gift of “I see dead people” is something I’m not all that upset about being slighted on. Seriously — would you really enjoy having your relaxing bath being interrupted by an aggressive spirit who plunks himself down on your toilet seat and demands to talk? “A bit inappropriate,” muses Lisa Williams, but as a clairvoyant it’s just part of her job. The spunky redheaded Brit returns to Lifetime for a second season of Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead, beginning Oct. 12. Here’s what Williams had to share about […]

With additional reporting by Ryan A. Berenz, Karl J. Paloucek, Jeff Pfeiffer, Lori Lundquist Acken and Sarah Stefanko Prehistoric parents likely told scary stories around the family fire, horrific warnings designed to keep their children close to the cave. Soon after Gutenberg created the modern printing press, said press churned out The Poem of the Last Judgment, a lurid piece that must have given Renaissance children nightmares. Early radio broadcasts were filled with scary series like The Shadow, while silent films like Nosferatu scared people at the movies. Horror also made a very effective transition to the small screen, as […]

Regardless of how long the Law & Order franchise, particularly Criminal Intent — which came dangerously close to cancellation earlier this year before NBC decided to move it to cable — lasts, its newest cast member certainly will keep on moving ahead. When CI shifts over to USA Network to begin its seventh season on Oct. 4, Alicia Witt joins the team in a six-episode story arc (replacing Julianne Nicholson, who is on maternity leave). Witt plays detective Nola Falacci, whom the actress laughingly describes as “sort of a hip chick.” In other words, not your average, buttoned-down TV detective. […]

Fans of Dexter who have also read the novels on which the series is based, Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, know a couple of things about Sergeant Doakes that casual viewers do not. First, “Sergeant” is a nickname, acknowledging his days in Army Special Ops. Second, his first name is Albert — a good reason for a man who is hardly a “call me Al” sort of guy to go with the nickname. I asked Erik King, who plays Doakes, about his character and the remarkable success of this show. Last year, when I saw […]