Watched and Read - May 24, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read...

 

 

MOVIES

Used Cars (1980), directed by Robert Zemeckis. One of my favorite films that I watched growing up. Much of the humor still holds up, especially the scene when they jam the president’s speech on TV to run a commercial. And I love Toby, the dog. Fun film.

Room 237 (2012), directed by Rodney Ascher. I don’t agree with many of the interpretations and claims made in the film, but I still found it fascinating to watch. The Shining is one of my favorite films, and I even wrote a chapter about it in my book, Cinema of Confinement. The documentary is worth checking out, especially the part where they play the film forward and backwards at the same time. But if you are a Kubrick fan, you might find yourself yelling at your TV or computer, or however we watch things these days.

Fear and Desire (1952), directed by Stanley Kubrick. This is the first film directed by Kubrick, which he financed himself. It is nowhere near the great films he would later make, but it is worth seeing, even with all its flaws and mistakes. For one, the visuals are great - there is something strange about the way Kubrick frames and composes the forest. There are also some interesting experiments with editing. Lastly, Kubrick’s first film takes up a topic that he would return to in Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket: the psychological impact of war on the individual. Kino Lorber put out the restored version (70 minutes) a few years ago. Definitely worth the watch. 

 

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TV

I watched the first episode of The Burroughs and thought it was pretty good. What held my attention was Alfred Molina. He is just an amazing actor, and he plays the part with authenticity. In addition to Molina, there are other great actors in the series, such as Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, and Clarke Peters, to name a few, that make it worth watching. It definitely has an old-school Spielberg vibe from the early 1980s.

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BOOKS

See my post on Stephen King’s From a Buick 8.

I am almost done reading Noël Carroll’s book, The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart, which I am very much enjoying.

 

 

Newsletter #6

Hope everyone is doing well and getting excited for summer. Speaking of summer….

My Lovely Dark Summer:

It is now available to purchase. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited.

I received two very nice reviews, one from Kirkus Reviews and Readers’ Favorite.

I am very excited for everyone to read it.

Hitchcock Project:

The proposal and writing sample have been sent. Now I am “patiently” waiting for the reviews. In the meantime, I am starting to write the conclusion.

Run to the Future:

This is the second Charlie One book, and I am very happy with the draft I’ve written. There’s a good chance I’ll have it ready in 2027.

Dark Escape:

This will be the fourth book in the Zworsky’s Children series. The story follows Robbie from Texas’s escape from the Circle. The story parallels Rise of the Creepers. I think I can have it ready in 2027.

Flight Unknown:

I went over 100 ratings on Amazon! I am very thankful for the ratings and reviews.

Movies and Books Read:

You can always read what I’m watching and reading on my Substack page.

Well, that’s it for me.

Enjoy the summer.

Keep reading. Watch movies.

Tom C.

www.tomconnellyfiction.com

 

From a Buick 8 and the Horror of the Unknown

 

I was going to include this in my watched and read, but decided it deserves its own post.

I finished Stephen King’s From a Buick 8 this week, which was my second time reading it. The setting of the story is Pennsylvania. It is an oral account of a Buick abandoned at a gas station by a mysterious man who randomly disappeared. “Oil’s fine!” The car is towed to a state trooper barracks (Troop D) and stored in Shed B. The story is more about atmosphere than plot. As I wrote in my last post, King does not offer much specificity about where the car came from and why strange things emerge out of it (although I like the idea of it coming from Mid-World).

There is, however, a parallel between the unexpected death of Curtis Wilcox and the mystery of the Buick. Curtis died while on duty. His teen son, Ned, likes to hang around the barracks as a way to be close to his deceased father. State trooper Sandy Dearborn, who does most of the storytelling, believes Ned is looking for answers, just as we are looking for answers that would explain the mystery of the Buick. There are no answers, and that’s where the heart of horror resides in this tale.

Horror is about shattering the order of things, which can take on various forms, such as monsters or creatures. Or as Paul Wells puts it, “In whatever way the monster is conceived and acts . . . it serves to operate as a mode of disruption and breakdown in the status quo” (9). The Buick is unknowable and defies explanation. In a way, the Buick is similar to movies like The Birds (1963) and Jaws (1975), where something unexplainable defies the laws of nature and invades the everyday.  

 

 

But that does not stop Troop D’s curiosity to know and make sense of the Buick. Sandy recounts how they took pictures and videotaped the odd things that came out of the Buick’s trunk. They even dissect a strange-looking bat, an entity that King describes as the Buick giving birth to. In short, they try to make meaning where no meaning is to be had. Even as the troopers carry on with their duties, the Buick continues to haunt them, especially Curtis, who becomes obsessed with figuring out its mystery. Is it a coincidence that the person who killed Curtis was the person who worked at the gas station when they first discovered the Buick? Or is there a direct connection between the two? The answer remains unknown.

King writes in the author’s note that he completed the first draft shortly before his accident in the summer of 1999. For that reason, I try not to look too much into the connection between the two, even though it is hard not to. I think From a Buick 8 is an amazing novel. What the story doesn’t reveal, reveals a lot.

Watched and Read - May 17, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week....

 

MOVIES

Against All Odds (1984), directed by Taylor Hackford, is based on the classic film noir, Out of the Past. The film started off on a good note, then petered out. I did not feel the chemistry between Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward. But Richard Widmark, who acted in many film noirs of the past, is worth the watch.

Kedi (2016), directed by Ceyda Torun, is a good documentary about cats that roam the streets in Istanbul. I was surprised that all the cats depicted in the documentary looked well cared for and well-fed. Very cool. Meow.

Lumière! Le Cinema (2025), directed by Thierry Frémaux, is one of the best films I’ve seen in a while. The documentary provides not only a history of the beginnings of moving images but also offers stunning images of France in the late 19th century. Watching this documentary is like being in a time machine. If you love movies, this is a must-watch.

Breathless (1983), directed by Jim McBride. Caught this on the Criterion Channel. This was my second time seeing it. The first was a surreal experience because I didn’t think it was possible that someone could actually adapt Godard’s masterpiece. So on the second viewing, I was prepared, and I really enjoyed it. Richard Gere gives an amazing performance. The visuals are spectacular, especially the surreal traveling matte car scenes. And I love seeing all the real locations in L.A. Tarantino apparently loves the movie, and you can definitely see its influence in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. This is a hidden gem of the 1980s. Just don’t think about Godard’s film when you watch it.

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TV

The first episode of the new season of Welcome to Wrexham is really good and very emotional. Lots of new players this season. The stakes are once again high for Wrexham.

I watched the first episode of Legends, which I very much enjoyed. I’ll watch anything with Steve Coogan. It’s streaming on Netflix.

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BOOKS

I am currently rereading Stephen King’s From a Buick 8. I love the story’s atmosphere. King takes full advantage of his Lovecraft influence and sense of cosmic horror by not explaining what the Buick is, why strange things emerge out of it, or where it came from. I want to think the Buick was once owned by The Stand’s Randall Flagg. Or maybe it’s from Mid-World.

 

Watched and Read - May 10, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week..

 

 

MOVIES

Point Break (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is a very good film involving Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), an undercover FBI agent, investigating a series of bank robberies in Los Angeles. It is a great action film, involving some incredible sequences. But I think what I enjoy the most is seeing Los Angeles on screen back in the 1990s. The movie is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

Zero Focus (1961), directed by Yoshitarō Nomura, is another good Japanese noir. I’ve watched several Japanese noir films on the Criterion Channel and this is the first with a lead female protagonist. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks in the final part of the film.

D.O.A. (1988), directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. I caught this one on the Criterion Channel. It is a neo-noir that visually looks amazing. The story, however, is not very good. But it’s worth checking out for its cinematography.

Rude Boy (1980) is part documentary and part fiction. The best parts of the film are the performances by The Clash. It is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.

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TV

I am now caught up on Bob’s Burgers. So far, this has been one of their best seasons. I love all the Gen X references.

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BOOKS

Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King (2026) by Caroline Bicks is an excellent new book on King’s early work. Bicks had the opportunity to go through King’s archive and unearth early drafts of his work. Her book is a close analysis of Pet Sematary, ‘Salem’s Lot, Carrie, The Shining, and selected stories from Night Shift. Bicks compares various versions of King’s works and explains how the changes affect the trajectory, tone and feel of the story. Since King typed these stories in the 1970s, there are notes and exchanges with the editors in the margins. The notes in the margins are significant for archivists. I also enjoyed the comparisons between Shakespeare and King, especially her observations on Macbeth and Carrie. If you love King, this is a must-read. And it is accessible. And thank God academia is starting to take King’s work seriously. I say this as someone who is in the field.

Watched and Read - May 3, 2026

 Here's what I watched and read last week...

 

MOVIES

A Colt is My Passport (1967), directed by Takashi Nomura, is a very good Japanese noir. It has a Hollywood B-film feel, mixed with a Spaghetti Western. Great performance by Joe Shishido. Super cool ending.

Cruel Gun Story (1964), directed by Takumi Furukawa, is another great Japanese noir. I really enjoyed the film’s setup, which reminded me of Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing. I am starting to become a fan of Shishido. I highly recommend this one.

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026), directed by Ben Feldman, is a great documentary on the band’s emergence in the early 1980s. It is very tragic and sad about what happened to Hillel Slovak.

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022), directed by Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg, is a very enjoyable film based on a true story. I liked how they structured the film, intercutting Roger Sharpe (not the real Roger Sharpe) talking to the filmmakers throughout the story. It reminded me of American Splendor, which mixes real footage of underground comic book artist, Harvey Pekar, and the fictional account of his story. Pinball is streaming on Hulu. 

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TV

Pistols (2021). I finished the series and thought it was excellent. They crammed in a lot in the last episode, but overall it was a lot of fun to watch. There is a lot of humor, mixed with gritty realism. Boyle brilliantly captures the feel, energy, and excitement of a punk rock show. I would definitely put this up there as one of Danny Boyle’s great works. I highly recommend it.

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BOOKS

I finished reading Ray Bradbury’s collection of short stories in I Sing the Body Electric! And Other Stories. Lots of great stories, especially “The Burning Man,” “The Lost City of Mars, “The Utterly Perfect Murder,” and “Punishment Without Crime.”

“The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson is a classic short story. Miss Strangeworth is what we would call an online troll. There is no evidence in the mean letters that she sends anonymously to the people of her small town. All she is doing is stirring up trouble. In her view, it is because people need to open their eyes and be aware of the evils lurking in the world. The brilliance of Jackson’s story is that good and evil are not dualistic but dialectical. That is, they are intertwined with each other. The idyllic fantasy is always threatened by something that wants to undo it. I am teaching this alongside Hitchcock’s Shadow a of Doubt. Both are examples of evil within small places.