The “monster with a heart of gold” story is probably as old as fiction itself. The fairy tale of “Beauty and the Beast” verifiably goes back several centuries, but I’m 100% positive early humans were telling a variation of it in fire-lit caves.

the breed of vampire I love the most is probably always going to be the nasty, gross, horrifying, truly monstrous vamp. The ones with appalling table manners and atrocious hygiene, who could never seduce or charm, who prove that sometimes immortality comes at too high of a price.

Whether it’s a creative slump, a work slump, a social slump — when you find yourself stuck in an unproductive groove and unable to do anything in a satisfying fashion, the frustration can permeate everything in your life.

While we absolutely need more lady werewolves in fiction, there are some great ones already out there. Here is a look at six of the hairiest, toothiest gals out there.

This week, I’m looking back over a few of the films that disappointed us the most. The ones that had a solid concept, or a great cast, or managed to do a couple of really sweet sequences, only to fall apart like a cake in the rain.

When it comes to talent, some people hit the galactic jackpot. We all know someone who’s just too dang good at everything: cooking, crafting, public speaking, athletics … Virtuosos who make it all look so easy.

There are those rare occasions when an actor breaks away from their typical mold and surprises everyone with an unexpectedly great performance. After polling several cinephile friends, I’ve gathered a handful of the best examples of this.

This week I wanted to shine a little light — *bats away an eager Mothman* — on the best beasties you may not have heard of.

These are the B-listers, and their films are directed by the likes of Ed Wood, John Waters, Tommy Wiseau. Their movies end up on “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ and its spin-off “RiffTrax,” or are introduced by Elvira.

Hopefully very few real-world mothers are as bad as this Rogue’s Gallery of Horrific Horror Moms, 11 of the very worst film has to offer. So if your relationship with your mum is fraught, take comfort that it’s not as terrible as these.

After spending the day curating a table of “unusual history” titles, I thought it was only right I share a some of these gems.

While it’s impossible to give a truly definitive answer for what makes something a “comfort watch,” you can still group them by specific qualities.

“Tangled: The Series” is such a delightful surprise, and here’s the top five reasons why:

My all-time, number one, biggest kryptonite trope of them all is Found Family.

In case someone else is in desperate need of a chuckle today, here are four side-splitting authors/comic artists to check out.

A friend dubbed this trope “Unexpected Baby Acquisition,” and in the past few years it’s become one of my very favorite fiction set-ups.

I readily admit: I’m a connoisseur of Schadenfreude. I eat it up with a long spoon. So I’m kicking off the new year with just deserts.

When you pause and take a look back, there were some truly great shows, movies and pop culture moments that brightened our days this past year, so here’s my Top 10 list for 2022.

If you, too, find this gray, chilly season a hard one to weather, take heart: I return with a solid list of small pleasures that make the cold worth savoring. The little things that just hit harder and feel better in December.

Nine times out of 10, I prefer my horror to be more understated than over-the-top. But there are plenty of films built around body horror and disgusting creatures that are really, really good.

If you’ve binged through all of the “Buzzfeed” offerings and are still hungry for more, be sure to check out these other four programs.

As we plan seasonal movie nights — or if you just want something appropriate to put on in the background while you’re carving your pumpkins and baking your pies — here are 5 quality Halloweeny movies fit for the whole family.

I’m savoring this chilly snap while it lasts, and trying to prolong the autumn atmosphere with these six movies and shows.

I’m forever hungry for adventures, mysteries, dark fantasies where there’s more than meets the eye. Where the mundane world is just one layer of many, and ghosts, superpowers, secret societies and angels really exist.

I love when folks take a noir framework and smash it into another genre. So this week, I’m highlighting four projects that flavored their noir with sci-fi, “Looney Tunes,” anime and superheroes.

Truly, you’re never too old to suss out a crime — or commit one. And if you, like me, love seeing spirited septuagenarians get to the bottom of a mystery, you need to pick up these 4.