Watched and Read - September 28, 2025

Here’s what I watched and read last week:

MOVIES

Chinatown (1974) is one of the great films of the New Hollywood wave. It helped usher in the neo-noir era—a term used because filmmakers in the 1940s and 1950s didn’t realize they were creating what would later be called “film noir.” The label “noir” came from French critics, most notably Nino Frank. I still consider Robert Towne’s Chinatown one of the best screenplays ever written.

Needful Things (1993). Three hours and 8 min version. It was hard to tell exactly what was new, but I did enjoy it more than the theatrical cut. I’ve read King’s novel, which I like a lot—though the ending is a bit messy. Perhaps that has to do with the madness that takes over Castle Rock in the final part. King’s multi-character perspective novels are some of my favorites—The Stand and Under the Dome, for example. Needful Things definitely fits into that storytelling style. I thought the extended cut did a better job of capturing the ensemble cast than the theatrical version. It would’ve been interesting if the story had taken place over the course of just one day. That might have made it even more powerful. I also appreciated that they didn’t explain why the devil shows up in Castle Rock—it’s more unsettling that way. They left out Ace Merrill (the villain from The Body) from the novel. I thought he might show up in the extended version, but I’m guessing that would’ve made the film way too long. The standout performance was J.T. Walsh—he pretty much stole the show. Overall, a fun film to kick off the Halloween season!

Devo (2024) is a good documentary. However, I wished it had gone more in-depth about how the band got into songwriting and how they learned to play their instruments. I also would have loved to learn more about what the other musicians—besides Mark Mothersbaugh—did after Devo during their hiatus. Still, it’s definitely worth checking out. Director Chris Smith has made some great documentaries, especially American Movie (1999), which is one of my favorites.

Triumph: Rock and Roll Machine (2021) is a very good documentary about the rock band from Toronto. It was directed by Sam Dunn of Banger Films, who has made many great documentaries—especially in the metal genre. What I particularly liked about this one was the fan-focused aspect.

Five Corners (1987) – I watched this on Criterion and thought it was a very good film. It was written by John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote Moonstruck (1987) and Doubt (2008). The movie features a great ensemble cast, and John Turturro delivers a chilling performance as a particularly scary character. There were some genuinely shocking moments that caught me off guard.

 

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TV

Episode 3 of Task is beginning to take on a labyrinth-like structure, effectively blending suspense, noir, and whodunit mystery.

Black Rabbit is messy (maybe its supposed to be), but I’m still enjoying it.

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BOOKS

Departure 37 (2025) by Scott Carson is an excellent sci-fi novel. The story blends elements of The Twilight Zone with Cold War-era paranoia, offering thoughtful reflections on technology that resonate with both the past and the present. I also recommend Carson’s other two books, The Chill and Lost Man’s Cave.

 

Top Books of 2024

There were a lot of great reads this year, so many that I thought I list the books I really enjoyed. No particular ranking. A lot of them were horror books.

Not a novel, but this short story is really good. I've read almost everything by Hill and cannot wait for his next novel. Definitely give this one a read.

 

 

Chizmar's Chasing The Boogeyman was one of my favorite reads last year. His new book is very good. He writes great characters. Don't know why, but when I read his books, I think of the films of Richard Linklatter.

This was an incomplete book by Crichton which Patterson finished. A fast paced thriller. I also learned a lot about volcanoes, particularly lava tubes!

I really enjoyed Tremblay's new book. It was not what I expected. I'm not sure if I would even call it horror in the traditional sense, but I like the tone and feel of it. The Disappearance at Devil's Rock and Head Full of Ghost are also worth checking out.

I've read all of King's books, and I love his short stories. There are some great ones in this collection.

 

I read Fever House and The Devil By Name back to back. Devil By Name has a different feel from Fever House's noir vibe, but it's really good. Both are page tuners. Definitely worth checking out.

 

I think this is one of those books you either like it or you don't. I thought it was really cool and a lot of fun. I guess you could put this one in the fantasy territory. I think Koontz called it a spooky screwball comedy.

I've been reading of lot of Koontz lately and I love they way he creates his villains. And this book has some big baddies.

Very intense and dark read. The story reminded me of John Carpenter's The Fog. I'm looking forward to reading more by Malfi.

A great coming of age story. Carson nailed the 1990s. I felt like I was in a time machine. There were some very scary moments. And then there were times where I was laughing out loud. Probably one of the best books I read this year. Also check out The Chills by Carson.

 

Another one of my favorite reads of 2024. Very scary, and very engaging. A fast read. I enjoyed the themes explored in the book, particularly the loss of innocence. The format took  some time to get used to. But it's really effective in telling the story.
 

 

If you love horror and sci-fi movies, this is a must read. Nashawaty explores movies of the summer of 1982: Tron, The Thing, E.T., Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Road Warrior, Blade Runner, Poltergeist and Conan The Barbarian. I love the way he structures the book. It reminded me of Peter Biskind's From Easy Rider to Raging Bull.

 

I got to see Alex Van Halen speak at LA Talks this past fall. Still can't believe Eddie Van Halen is no longer with us. Great read about Van Halen up to the 1984 record. Also check out Eruption - a book of interviews with Eddie Van Halen.

 

Ian Nathan has written a bunch of books for this series. A number of them I have read, such as Guillermo del Toro and Wes Anderson. His newest book on Spielberg is very good. There are some movies he only devotes a few pages too. Some of the stuff I already knew about Spielberg, but I really enjoyed the pictures and layout of the book. And great price!

 

Flight Unknown

My novella Flight Unknown will be released on February 22 on Amazon. It is a story about a strange occurrence that happens on a red-eye flight to New York form London. Seven passengers and a flight attendant realize they're the only people on board who aren't in a coma-like sleep.

 

 

The idea of the story came about when I saw troubling news reports on airlines during the early part of the pandemic. On top of that, I had been watching a lot of George R. Romero films. I was also binge watching The Twilight Zone.

In particular, the Zone episode The Odyssey of Flight 33 had a big influence on my story. I am also a big fan of Lost.  All of those texts were inspiring for me.

One thing I was really excited about this project was the opportunity to write a group of characters who don't know each other, but have to work with each other in order to stay alive. I certainly looked to Stephen King who has written many of these types of situations, such as Desperation, Maximum Overdrive and "The Langoliers." 

Flight Unknown was a ton of fun to write, and I hope everyone enjoys it. Please check out www.tomconnellyfiction.com for updates and to sign up for my newsletter.

 

Be safe.

Top Ten Stephen King Books

For the past year, I've been reading a lot of Stephen King books. I've been a fan of King over the years. But I guess I recently got the King bug, especially after reading 'Salem's Lot last summer. To this day, I've read almost half of King's novels. There's still so much more to explore, given the amount of books, novellas, and short stories he has published over the years. But I thought it would be fun to list my ten favorite books thus far - no particular ranking.

Growing up as a GenX-er, the commercial for the uncut version of this book aired all the time on TV. This was the first book of his I read way back in 1996, and was taken by how much heart and melodrama it had, or what I describe as "horror with heart." It might also be the longest book I have ever read! But never a dull moment. Some of my favorite characters are Trashcan Man, Larry Underwood, and Nick Andros. I also loved Harold Emery Lauder, as tragic as he was.

Next to The Stand, I think 'Salem's Lot is one of King's best novels. There's so much to say about it. For one, the story takes some of the narrative structure from Bram Stoker's masterpiece. Of course, there is a number of scary and suspenseful moments. But what took me by surprise is the small town that King creates for the reader. Early in the book, King describes an entire day and doings of 'Salem's Lot. Knowing that something supernatural is about to take over this town made this section of the book so frightening. In certain ways, 'Salem's Lot is an invasion narrative.

First and foremost, the movie version is one my favorite films. The Shining was what made me go to film school. And like everyone else who loves the film, we all know that King was not a fan of Kubrick's version. I read the book way later in my life, mainly because I was curious about what Kubrick left out from the novel, and why King was not happy about the film version. I think both the film and novel are extraordinary. I have found myself equally scared by both.

This book took me by surprise. It was the first book I read of his during his later years of writing. I felt his writing style was leaner and direct, rather than what Matt Thorne in The Guardian called the "baroque" category of King. I think Rose The Hat is one of King's top villains. And I thought Rebecca Ferguson was amazing in the film. But what struck me about Doctor Sleep was its exploration of alcoholism. This book is not only a sequel to The Shining, it is also a story about recovery. And having read about King's own battles with addiction made this book even more poignant.

I found myself recently reading a lot of 1990s King. Next to Gerald's Game (in terms of graphic horror), it is one of the more gory novels of his. Desperation also demonstrates King's interest in putting a bunch of characters who don't know each other in one setting over a long stretch of time (e.g. Maximum Overdrive). This was a topic I explored in my book Cinema of Confinement. The novel also involves King playing with language, such as Tak! Very cool book.

I am unsure what novel I enjoyed the most out of the series. Perhaps Wolves of the Calla or  The Waste Lands? I was not such a fan of The Drawing of the Three and had stopped reading the series. But after my father died in 2017, I went back to The Dark Tower story. I was in the Hudson Valley and wanted to read something that would take me out of the funk of my father's sudden death. I purchased The Waste Lands and it was everything I expected and more. I think The Dark Tower series is one of King's greatest achievements. I guess that's all I'll say. But I was very much touched by Roland's journey. So glad I stuck with it. I encourage you to read it if you haven't.

I read that King came up with this story when he accidentally slipped and fell down a hill behind a gas station. I was surprised by the tone of the book, where Pennsylvania State Troopers tell their stories of the Buick 8 that they impounded. The Buick 8 is a supernatural vehicle that appears to be a gateway into another world. Again, I loved how the narrative focuses primarily on the barracks and garage were the Buick is kept. I felt that King allows you to ponder the mystery of the car, without explaining too much. It's a strange book that I often think about.

I loved this book and believe it to be in the same vein as Salem's Lot and Needful Things - all about a large cast of characters in a small town dealing with some strange unexplained / supernatural event. The book is very engaging and never slow. It is also a great tale about how leaders can turn into authoritarians. Under the Dome is well worth your time.

I had seen the films The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, and Apt Pupil before reading Different Seasons. This is a great collection of novellas. My favorite might be Apt Pupil. I was surprised by how dark and disturbing the story was, much different than the movie, which I was not such a fan of.

King mentioned that this book was him trying too hard. I think this is an amazing fantasy book about elderly people. I thought the length and pacing of the book reflected the characters - not to be rude about getting old. Maybe more importantly is the book's connection to The Dark Tower and why I enjoyed the book so much. Unlike King's approach to sci-fi, I think he takes his approach to fantasy quite seriously, exploring very intriguing aspects of out of body experiences as well as playing with time and space, which can be traced back to The Dark Tower story, or even Lisey's Story. Insomnia is a slow burn, but I think it is worth checking out.

I would also like to mention King's book On Writing. This book had such a tremendous impact on me as a writer. It inspired me to write with the door closed, and not be afraid to write even when you don't know the entire structure of your story, or even know where your story is heading. Everybody has their own approaches to writing. But for me, I like to discover things about the characters and their situations as I write.

For academic analysis, check out Tony Magistrale's books on King.

Top Books - 2013

As posted last year, my yearly list entails books from different genres and periods of time. This was my first year teaching which tremendously cut down on my reading time, so I had to mix up fiction and non-fiction just to generate a top ten list. Here is my list of great books read for 2013 - no particular order. . . . 

The Year of the Flood (2009) by Margaret Atwood

A Visit from the Goon Squad (2002) by Jennifer Egan 

The Tommyknockers (1987) by Stephen King

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) by Oscar Wilde

The Ice Storm (1994) by Rick Moody

Garden State (1992) by Rick Moody

Alone Together (2011) by Sherry Turkle

The Gunslinger The Dark Tower I (1992) by Stephen King