David Moody's Blog, page 24

Joe McKinney

So sad to hear of the passing of Joe McKinney. Joe was one of the first fellow zombie authors I got to know well, though I hadn’t spoken to him for a number of years. Way back when I was starting out (when the zombie sub-genre was first starting to become established, actually) Joe’s books were everywhere, and rightly so. DEAD CITY, FLESH EATERS and his other novels were hugely popular. Our paths crossed quite a few times, and I was honoured to write the foreword to DEAD WORLD RESURRECTION – an outstanding collection of his zombie short stories.

Rest in peace, Joe. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

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Herbst: Morgendämmerung

Happy to advise that the German language edition of AUTUMN: DAWN – HERBST: MORGENDÄMMERUNG – is now available in print and ebook.

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The Last Big Thing – new edition

I’m pleased to report that THE LAST BIG THING is now available in paperback. Originally released in early 2019, this is a collection of some of my favourite non-zombie short stories from the last 15 years or so, along with a number of other stories I wrote especially for the book. Of note, this is currently the only place you can get EVERYTHING AND NOTHING (my lone HATER short story) in print. Personally, I think it’s worth picking up for the title story alone. I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written.

THE LAST BIG THING paperback is available from Amazon. It’s also available as an ebook (Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, Nook) and there are a handful of signed hardcovers available at a discounted price over at www.infectedbooks.co.uk.

The beautiful cover art is by long time collaborator CRAIG PATON. Thanks to Craig for tweaking the files for this new edition.

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It works much better when you give a shit

A few weeks back I posted about the brilliant ONE CUT OF THE DEAD and how I thought that micro-budgeted madcap zombie meta-movie had a million times the depth and character of the boring, bloated, load of bollocks that was ARMY OF THE DEAD. It’s not a completely fair comparison, I’ll admit, but there’s a point to be made – for me to enjoy a movie, good characterisation and a cohesive plot are essential.

I saw another couple of films recently which prove the point, and that leads me to this weekend’s double movie recommendation.

I’m sure you’ve heard of GREENLAND. It’s a big budget Amazon blockbuster with a star-filled cast who find themselves staring into the abyss as the end of the world approaches. You might not, on the other hand, have heard of THE QUAKE – a Norwegian movie from a few years back which was, in fact, a sequel to THE WAVE, which I wrote about here.

Two relatively straightforward disaster movies, with two very different approaches. Can you guess which one I liked best?

On the face of it, both of the trailers sell these films in a similar way. Here, have a watch:

We get the build-up of emotion, the ominous music and titles, the sense of impending doom, and then we get a glimpse of the money shots – those crucial, climactic, effects-laden scenes that disaster movie fans love to see. I was disappointed that GREENLAND didn’t turn out to have many more money shots than those that are glimpsed in the trailer. Films like this tend to sell you the promise of an hour and a half of jaw-dropping mayhem in the trailer, then only deliver around fifteen minutes max.

I’ll be honest, I really enjoyed watching both GREENLAND and THE QUAKE. Personally, I found THE QUAKE to be a superior movie on pretty much every level. The main reason without doubt was because I cared about the characters in THE QUAKE. I could not have given one tiny shite about the fates of any of the poor folks in GREENLAND, but it was fun watching them go through hell.

The reasons for my differing reactions really interest me as a writer. Like many folks, I’m a sucker for a good disaster movie. The success of such a film is often measured in terms of its spectacle, but I think you need more than just grand set-pieces and widespread devastation.

For me, THE QUAKE is at an immediate advantage here, because it’s a sequel to another disaster movie, and we’re already well acquainted with the characters. In fact, having seen the previous movie, it makes it all the more emotional when we meet geologist Kristian and his family again, and realise that their lives have unravelled since escaping the tidal wave that devastated their home of Geiranger in Norway. That the family has fallen apart after such a nightmare is entirely plausible. Kristian, in particular, is a wreck; a shadow of the man who saved so many lives previously.

GREENLAND also features a dysfunctional family unit at its core, but the handling of the problems that have driven these folks apart is clumsy and formulaic, and you couldn’t care less if they stayed together or not. So that immediately set me off on the wrong foot – if I didn’t care about the family in the first place, was I ever going to care whether they’d survive?

But it’s not all about the characters. In films like this, does it even matter what happens to them? It could be argued that the more grief they’re put through, the more hellish situations they’re forced to endure, the better. I agree with that to an extent, but my problem with GREENLAND is that I pretty much nailed how things were going to turn out from the first few scenes. There were twists and turns and diversions along the way, but I wasn’t far off. THE QUAKE on the other hand, was far less formulaic. Our chap in GREENLAND is literally given a ticket to save him from annihilation and is simply running to find his safe place. Kristian in THE QUAKE, on the other hand, is shouting into the wind… desperately trying to warn people that something terrible is coming, but being resolutely ignored.

And that leads me onto another comparison – the scale. There’s a natural tendency for moviemakers to want to constantly up the ante, but is it really necessary? I’m not so sure. In GREENLAND, we learn pretty early on that an unstoppable event is going to wipe out all life on Earth. The stakes are therefore so high that they barely seem to matter. The inevitability and implausibility of the outcome are such that, again, I disengaged and found it hard to care. I found myself just watching for the action scenes and special effects. In comparison, THE QUAKE sees only (only!) Oslo and the surrounding area destroyed, yet there’s still plenty of spectacle, and there’s also the promise that if the cast survive the immediate chaos, they’ll still have a future. Knowing that safety is not too far away (but still temporarily out of reach), allows the viewer to invest in the family’s collective story. Who’s going to make it? What shape will they be in when this is over? What will the future hold for what’s left of them? (The irony here, of course, is that a sequel to GREENLAND has been announced, despite the whole world having been wiped out… I’ll be genuinely interested to see where the filmmakers take the story).

In my books, I’ve always tried to focus on ordinary folks trying to survive extraordinary situations. They’re easier to identify with and, as I said in the title of this post, it works much better when you give a shit. I know it’s only my opinion, but the contrast between GREENLAND and THE QUAKE has further validated this approach for me. On the face of it, these are two extremely well-made films that rely on similar tropes and tell broadly similar stories. For me, though, THE QUAKE is a far superior film that had me on the edge of my seat throughout because it felt like what happened on the screen actually mattered.

Both films are currently streaming on Amazon Prime in the UK, and I think they’re both worth your time (but please watch THE WAVE first if you’re going to watch THE QUAKE). If you’ve seen them, what are your thoughts?

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Coming next…

In the weeks following the release of a new novel, I usually like to give readers an indication as to what’s coming next. Now that AUTUMN: DAWN has been out for the best part of a month (and huge thanks to everyone who has picked up a copy), it’s time for a brief update.

Coming in July, AUTUMN: DAWN will be released as an audiobook, and also as a German language paperback and ebook. Also next month, THE LAST BIG THING will finally see a paperback release.

By the end of July I fully expect to be deep into the writing of AUTUMN: INFERNO – the second book in the London trilogy – so my updates here may be a little less frequent. Picking up just a short time after the explosive (literally) end of DAWN, the story will see the survivors of book one trying to stay alive in the face of constant attacks from a) an unprecedented number of dead bodies, and b) each other. If the wind’s blowing in the right direction, the book should hit the shelves late this year.

This past weekend Chris Philbrook, Mark Tufo and I completed our edits for the final book in THE BLEED series – ARMAGEDDON. I’ve loved writing this series with Chris and Mark, and I think the conclusion is the best part yet. It’ll be out on 21 September, and can be pre-ordered on Kindle and Audible. A paperback version will be released alongside the ebook and audio.

Reality after reality is being destroyed by THE BLEED. With their options narrowing by the second, and with their group scattered far and wide across the multiverse, it’s down to less than 10 people to try and save the lives of billions upon billions of others.

I’m also working on another novel, and have been for a couple of years now. It’s a psychological horror in which THE WORLD DOES NOT END. Imagine that, a Moody book without an apocalypse! More details when I have something I can share.

I’ve been trying to schedule a Facebook live event for some time, and I’m hoping to make this happen later in July. I’ll share details nearer the time, but if you have any questions you’d like to ask about me or my work, please get in touch.

 

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Saint Maud

In previous recommendation posts I’ve talked about my local cinema, which is literally a couple of hundred metres from my front door. In the brief time it was open between lockdowns last year, I managed to fit in a few visits, mostly to see re-releases of old movies on the big screen (DOG SOLDIERS and V FOR VENDETTA, if you remember). But there was one new release I’d been really keen to see which I didn’t quite manage to fit in. The film was SAINT MAUD, and over the course of the UK’s endless third lockdown, I watched a crumpled poster for the movie gradually fading in the winter sunlight outside the cinema. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it was as if Maud herself was constantly reminding me to watch. When the film popped up on Amazon Prime in the UK a short while back, I did just that, and I’m so pleased I did. What a magnificent film SAINT MAUD is.

Maud is a reclusive young nurse whose impressionable demeanour causes her to pursue a pious path of Christian devotion after an obscure trauma. Now charged with the hospice care of Amanda, a retired dancer ravaged by cancer, Maud’s fervent faith quickly inspires an obsessive conviction that she must save her ward’s soul from eternal damnation, whatever the cost.

It’s so good to find a well written, well acted, self-contained film like this. In an era where franchises about fast cars and monsters and superheroes go on and on forever, and shite action movies get endless sequels because people watch them, not because they’re actually any good, it often feels like quiet, unnerving, smart films like SAINT MAUD don’t stand a chance. And that’s a real shame. I know, I know… the mainstream film industry is exactly that – a profit-driven industrial machine, and those films I mentioned make the bulk of the money – but give me SAINT MAUD over crap like ARMY OF THE DEAD any day of the week.

So what makes SAINT MAUD so special? For me, it’s a combination of a few things. First, writer and director ROSE GLASS. The story-telling here is confident yet sensitive, giving us space to make up our own minds about Maud as the film progresses. I think I’m becoming allergic to exposition dumps in films, and this is a textbook example of how to do it right. It’s clear early on that all is not well with Maud, and Glass’s script tells us just enough to confirm our suspicions while still keeping us guessing. There’s no need to fully delve into Maud’s backstory; a few hints are given through the briefest of flashbacks and interactions with supporting characters, but we’re left wondering right until the end of the film. The cinematography is excellent, and the location – Scarborough – adds to the eeriness with its out-of-season seaside vibes.

The real joy here, though, is MORFYDD CLARK as Maud. Her performance is absolutely spot on, hitting the sweet spot between appearing vulnerable and lost one minute, borderline psychotic the next. The success of the film hinges on Clark’s performance, and yet she seems natural, almost effortless in the role. She’s heartbreakingly engaging, and at the same time genuinely menacing.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably read one (hopefully more!) of my books. You’ll know that my style is direct, with very little filler. You won’t find page after page of backstory and imagery in a Moody novel, because I like to focus on the story – everything else can often feel superfluous. For me, that’s another reason why SAINT MAUD hit the spot. It clocks in at less than ninety minutes, and there’s barely a wasted second. Every frame of the film drives the story towards a conclusion in which the only certainty is that it’s going to be bloody hard to watch.

As usual with my recommendations, I’m beating around the bush here – trying to give you enough to make you want to watch this film without giving anything away. SAINT MAUD seriously affected me. It’s one of the greatest horror films I’ve seen in decades. No, scratch that, it’s one of the greatest horror films I’ve seen. But hey, what do I know?!

SAINT MAUD is available to download and on bluray from all the usual outlets. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

 

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The shipping forecast

Please excuse the awful pun in the title of this post – I tried (and failed) to think of an interesting way of writing about the woes of sending international post in the times of Brexit/coronavirus.

I’m from a customer service background, and I strive to make sure everything that Infected Books does is done with the reader first and foremost. Unfortunately, sometimes circumstances conspire to trip me up. I’m hugely grateful to everyone who picked up a copy of the limited edition of AUTUMN: DAWN (there are two left, if anyone’s interested). It’s easily the most beautiful looking book I’ve produced, and I’m insanely proud of it.

Every order has been signed, sealed and posted by me, and it’s been brilliant to see photos appearing on social media from all around the world when copies have arrived. Except for Canada. It seems there is a black hole in the postal system between Birmingham and Canada, and packages are taking an inordinate length of time to arrive. There’s good news, though, as I’ve heard that the first books are getting through (thanks for the update, Mike!), but I just wanted to briefly post here to apologise to Canadian readers and to let you know your books should arrive imminently. Thanks for your patience. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns.

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One Cut of the Dead

As you may have noticed, I’m doing my best to catch-up on a backlog of film recommendations I’ve built up. Today I want to recommend an absolute gem to you for a couple of reasons. First, because it’s a micro-budget marvel that goes to show that a great concept and copious enthusiasm are infinitely more important than a big budget and faultless special effects. Second, on a more practical level, I’m mentioning it today because if you’re in the UK, you can watch it for free on Channel 4 for the next couple of weeks.

The less you know about ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, the better. Here’s a spoiler-free synopsis and trailer, followed by a couple of (also spoiler-free) thoughts.

Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.

I’m going to keep these comments very, very brief – as I said, the less you know about ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, the more you’ll enjoy it. And I’m sure you will enjoy it. This film is a joy. Absolutely crazy, very funny, wildly surprising, and unexpectedly touching. I’ve read a lot of comments from people who switched off after the first half hour, but DON’T. After a few minutes you’ll probably think you know where the movie is going, and you’re likely very wrong indeed. Please just stick with it. The pay-off is so worth it.

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD comes very, very, very highly recommended by me. It’s a love letter to zombie movies, and also to low budget indie film making in general. If you’re not in the UK, it’s currently streaming on SHUDDER and is available from all the usual places on DVD, Blu-ray and as a download.

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AUTUMN: DAWN (book one of the London trilogy)

PRINT
AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | INDIEBOUND

EBOOK
AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY | NOOK

SIGNED
INFECTED BOOKS | EBAY

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Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula

When I started work on the new AUTUMN trilogy, and particularly throughout the writing of the recently released AUTUMN: DAWN, I gorged on zombie movies. Nothing unusual in that, you might think, but given the fact I’ve been writing about the undead for a long time, I think I probably watch these films through a slightly different filter than most folks.

If you’ve read my comments on ARMY OF THE DEAD from last weekend, you’ll no doubt have picked up on the fact that I hated pretty much every second of it. In hindsight that may have been, in part, because the zombie movie I’d watched prior to ARMY had a very similar set up and premise, but was infinitely more enjoyable. That film was TRAIN TO BUSAN PRESENTS: PENINSULA. Crappy title – passable film.

I wrote about TRAIN TO BUSAN here in 2017, commenting that it was a ‘top quality action flick that just happened to feature zombies’. This second movie is not a sequel as such, but another standalone story set in the same world as TRAIN TO BUSAN, albeit four years later. Here’s the synopsis and trailer.

It’s four years since the outbreak of a zombie virus in South Korea. The infection has spread throughout the country and it has been sealed off from the rest of the world. On the promise of a better life, four Korean refugees in Hong Kong agree to sail through the blockade to the port of Incheon to recover $20 million US dollars sitting in the back of a truck.

Zombies are incredibly adaptable creatures. You can drop them into virtually any scenario and enjoy the chaos which ensues. I think that’s probably why many zombie movies aren’t really zombie movies at all. In the same way I said TRAIN TO BUSAN was really an action film, they’re often all kinds of other movies, which just happen to feature zombies.

The same is true of PENINSULA. Whilst there are many thousands of zombies on show here, they’re more of a distraction than a real threat, and the film seems to have more in common with ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME than NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Accept it for what it is, though, and you’ll likely have a good enough time with it.

As is so often the way with standalone sequels like this, we begin with a series of scenes which show how our ‘hero’ characters coped (or, more likely, didn’t cope) during the initial outbreak of the virus. This section was well done, and laid the groundwork for many of the character interactions later in the movie. Nothing here is particularly surprising, but it helps keep the story moving along and serves to ramp up the tensions and set-pieces in the final acts.

The parallels with ARMY OF THE DEAD are undeniable – a small team of damaged misfits is sent into an impossibly inhospitable location to recover a large amount of money for a very nasty man – but PENINSULA is a far, far better film. Whilst ARMY seemed to me to be hampered by Zack Snyder’s visual style, PENINSULA is suitably grim and grimy and takes its cues from TRAIN TO BUSAN. The zombies in particular are recognisable from the first film in that they continue to exhibit a bizarre, almost surreal physicality that often results in surprisingly arresting visuals.

The characters are slightly less cliched here than in Synder’s film, but are still more caricature than character. The cast do their best with the material presented to them and, unlike ARMY, there are moments of genuine tension and excitement. Both films reach suitably predictable finales, but PENINSULA’s tighter running time, more likeable cast, and better direction means its delivery is far more satisfying. That said, in terms of expanding the world of TRAIN TO BUSAN, it has to go down as a huge missed opportunity. PENINSULA is entertaining enough, but its distractions are ultimately fleeting and forgettable.

You’ve no doubt worked out already that films like this are not my preferred type of zombie movie. They play to a specific audience, and that audience is undeniably huge (far bigger than the audience for my kind of gritty, low-fi apocalyptic tales!). I won’t say much more about PENINSULA, other than it’s worth a watch, and if you ever find yourself tempted to watch ARMY OF THE DEAD then stop, remember this post, and watch PENINSULA instead.

TRAIN TO BUSAN PRESENTS: PENINSULA (that really is an awful title) is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

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