Obsessed with film since 1982*
about
Loving the Alien
Can you remember where your obsession with movies began? For me, it started when I was six years old. Two events in December 1982, a week apart, defined what was to come. The second was the immersion in the vivid world of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. It was a starkly different experience from the first, a story of extraterrestrial trauma, of childhood tears. So many tears. You see, this alien wasn’t phoning home. Oh no, this one had a head that turned into a spider and there wasn't a single schoolkid in sight saving E.T., just a bunch of snowbound blokes in beards and... The Thing onscreen… just kept… changing.
I’m kidding, of course. While I loved Spielberg’s second close encounter, I grew to prefer Carpenter’s gruesome shapeshifter because I've always been more attracted to monsters. Further exploration of Henson’s fantasy worlds lead me to even more of them through Labyrinth (with a man who fell to Earth) – a less terrifying but magical experience – that was also the perfect introduction to the ‘changes’ of David Bowie. By the time the ’90s arrived I was hunky dory for VHS stickers and movie lists, where I developed a healthy taste and wider appreciation of film.
Some things never change.
Rich Johnson
Resume
As a D&AD Award Winner – with a background in graphic design and illustration – since 2004, I have lectured and delivered degree-level courses within the creative arts and media, including: graphic design, illustration, film studies and journalism. My first novel, The Enemy's Son (as James Johnson), was released in 2008, followed by a number of independent comics for various anthologies and collections. As well as numerous film courses delivered via Broadway Cinema my writing credits include: Little White Lies, The Digital Fix, We Belong Dead, Diabolique Magazine, Shots, Network, Rue Morgue, Animation Magazine and Fangoria along with film commentary and accompanying essays for boutique labels, Curzon, Eureka, Arrow Video, Arrow Films, 101 Films and Second Sight Films.
Top 10? These go to 11
Night of the Hunter (1955)
Charles Laughton
Harakiri (1962)
Masaki Kobayashi
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Sergio Leone
Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg
Blade Runner (1982)
Ridley Scott
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter
The Dark Crystal (1982)
Jim Henson and Frank Oz
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Rob Reiner
Nightcrawler (2014)
Dan Gilroy
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
S. Craig Zahler
The Red Turtle (2016)
Michaël Dudok de Wit
*A seminal year for film from cult classics to blockbusters: Blade Runner, The Thing, Tron, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The King of Comedy, The Flight of Dragons, First Blood, The Grey Fox, Poltergeist, Tootsie, Gandhi, Conan the Barbarian, The Plague Dogs...
... and Grease 2.
‘I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can’t stop eating peanuts.’ - Orson Welles
‘Pain is temporary, film is forever!’ - John Milius
writing
Essays, Features & Reviews
Check back regularly for updates. Short reviews and latest additions to the film library can be found over on FILM & INSTAGRAM.
Curzon
Loneliness & Robots:
The Brian and Charles Story
Jun 4, 2022
Animation Magazine
EXCLUSIVE: Here Be Monsters!
How Chris Williams’ ‘The Sea Beast’ Took to the High Seas
Jun 1, 2021
FANGORIA
Kill It With Fire!
John Carpenter's
The Thing at 40
Jun 25, 2022
Arrow Films
Top 10 Things We Love
About The Thing
Jun 13, 2022
Arrow Films
First-Person Shooter:
A Gasper Noé Retrospective
May 27, 2022
FANGORIA
ENCYCLOBLEEDIA of J-Horror
May 25, 2022
FANGORIA
Ghosts of Suburbia:
Poltergeist at 40
Jun 4, 2022
Arrow Films
Ten Circles of Hell:
Raising the Best of
Clive Barker on Film
May 13, 2022
fangoria
Raising the Stakes:
Blade II at 20
March 22, 2022
fangoria
Faith and Fury:
Alien 3 at 30
May 20, 2022
fangoria
Swamp Thing:
Roots of Horror
February 19, 2022
WBD
Spotlight on Science Fiction
January 14, 2022
fangoria
Return of the Loving Dead:
Nina Forever
January 7, 2022
fangoria
Under A Swastika Moon:
80 Years of The Wolf Man
December 13, 2021
fangoria
Mad Science and Makeup:
Frankenstein at 90
November 21, 2021
fangoria
Vol 2. Issue #14
Nosferatu 100th Anniversay
November 19, 2021
Animation Magazine
Out of Afghanistan:
Michaela Pavlátová
on ‘My Sunny Maad’
October 30, 2021
fangoria
Bedtime Stories
Mother Never Told You:
Tales from the Crypt at 50
March 3, 2022
wnpr
Not Necessarily The Nose:
The year in horror, 2021
October 28, 2021
fangoria
Hulks and Other Things
October 14, 2021
101 Films
The Boys Next Door (LE)
AssassiNation: Cold-blooded Rebels and the Death of the American Dream
September 6, 2021
fangoria
Year of the Wolf:
A Triptych of Lycanthropy
from 1981
September 1, 2021
Animation Magazine
‘Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist’: Anime Auteur in the Spotlight
August 30, 2021
fangoria
Beautiful Beast:
An American Werewolf
in London at 40
August 21, 2021
Second Sight
The Babadook (LE)
Born from Wreckage:
Traumatic Origins of a Postmodern Monster
July 26, 2021
fangoria
Hell Can Wait:
Art, Trauma and Other Demons
in Jacob's Ladder
July 06, 2021
fangoria
Strange Frontier:
Near Dark and the Birth of the American Vampire
June 30, 2021
Second Sight
Lake Mungo (LE)
Ghosts of Oz
June 7, 2021
fangoria
Dungeons Deep And Caverns Old
– Revisiting Neil Marshall’s
The Descent
April 30, 2021
diabolique
Jennifer Kent
and The Nightingale:
A Song of Violence
November 10, 2020
fangoria
The Lore and Lure
of Irish Horror
April 01, 2021
Second Sight
Host (LE)
– Revisiting Neil Marshall’s
The Descent
February 22, 2021
diabolique
Crash and Fall:
The Perilous Art
of Walter Molino
December 25, 2020
diabolique
The Truth and Consequence of Serial Killer Movies Part 2: Murder Games
September 14, 2020
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diabolique
The Truth and Consequence of Serial Killer Movies Part 1: Morbid Curiosity
September 14, 2020
WBD
Spotlight on Horror
August 26, 2020
diabolique
The Last Zombie Picture Show
October 21, 2020
the digital fix
Companion Pieces:
Paris, Texas / Lucky
June 26, 2020
shots
Gorilla Tactics:
The Evolution of
Branded Entertainment
June 4, 2020
fangoria
Re-Animation:
Regarding Animated Horror
May 28, 2020
the digital fix
Review:
The Grey Fox
May 28, 2020
diabolique
Weird Westerns Pt. 3:
Lost Worlds and Final Frontiers
May 25, 2020
shots
Tilting at Windmills:
Building Branded Entertainment with Jae Goodman
June 18, 2020
_edited.jpg)
fangoria
Trigger Warnings:
A Headcount History
May 15, 2020
the digital fix
V for Vengeance:
The Impact of
South Korean Cinema
May 15, 2020
THe digital fix
Adventure Time:
Stand by Me
and the Last of The Outsiders
May 1, 2020
diabolique
Why You Need to Watch...
Lake Mungo (2008)
April 25, 2020
_edited.jpg)
diabolique
Why You Need to Watch...
Wer (2014)
April 21, 2020
fangoria
The Z-List:
French Cuisine and Quarantine With 'The Night Eats The World'
April 21, 2020
diabolique
Weird Westerns Pt. 2:
Painting the Town Dead
April 15, 2020
the digital fix
Review:
Primal
April 15, 2020
fangoria
Little Monsters:
Children in Spanish Cinema
April 8, 2020
diabolique
Weird Westerns Pt. 1:
Uncanny Origins
April 8, 2020
diabolique
Perfect Execution:
Film and the Electric Chair
April 6, 2020
network
Chamberlain & Dumas
March 9, 2020
little white lies
How Shock Corridor reflected
the madness of 1960s America
September 2, 2019
little white lies
How the politics of High Noon forged a new path for
the western
September 16, 2019
‘Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves.’ - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
testimonials
The things people say...
Rich writes with care and beauty, examining his subjects from unexpected angles and with nothing less than the utmost due diligence. He’s a thoughtful, thorough writer whose passion for cinema is made manifest in every word.
Meredith Borders
Managing Editor
Fangoria
Rich is a rare find — a brilliant writer, a passionate, knowledgeable cineaste and a truly professional and reliable journalist.
Ramin Zahed
Editor in Chief
Animation Magazine
Rich is not only a great bloke, he’s an outside-the-box thinker when it comes to art, a writer of prodigious imagination (have you read his novel?) and a deep reservoir of film lore to boot.
Artist & Writer
Marvel / DC Comics
Green Lantern, Batman and Wonder Woman
Rich’s writing brims with insight, intelligence and always makes for interesting reading. His Enthusiasm, passion and film knowledge make him a valuable addition to any writing team.
Hel Harding-Jones
Editor
The Digital Fix
I have Rich to thank for the most thoughtful, thorough profile
I’ve ever read about my approach to our industry and the business we’ve built with that approach. More than a professional perspective or retrospective, when I read Rich’s article I thought to myself, “Yeah, that’s me, that’s us.” Rich has a way of bringing out the humanity in all of his subjects, and working with him was far
more conversation between engaged people than it was
q&a between interviewer and interviewee.
Jae Goodman
CEO
Observatory
Rich has been a recent, welcome addition to the stable of shots freelance writers. His research is in-depth, his communication is great and his enthusiasm for the subject on which he is writing is infectious, which carries through to the finished article.
Danny Edwards
Co-Editor
Shots
I was delighted to have Rich on board for our Spotlight on Horror book. His writing is incisive, intelligent and most entertaining. Hoping this is the start of many projects together.
Eric McNaughton
Publisher
We Belong Dead Magazine
Thanks again for writing such a great article about our weird wee country and its film scene! It’s wonderful to read such thoughtful work about our film history and I think you write beautifully.
Aislin Clarke
Writer/Director
The Devil’s Doorway
A lovely piece on Irish horror. Thanks for shining a light!
Kevin Lehane
Writer
Grabbers
Rich’s interview was well written and encapsulated, in concise form,
the many conversations we had about my background and experiences.
He captured, particularly, the early childhood influences from the post-war period in my hometown Vienna that were certainly a big subconscious influence in my work.
Otto Rapp
Artist
The Deterioration of Mind Over Matter