David Moody's Blog, page 56

Event update

Remember the huge Infected Books event I told you about recently? I need to let you know about a slight change of plan. It’s still on Friday 30 October at 7pm, it’s still going to be a cracking evening, we still want you to come in Halloween fancy dress if you’re up for it… we just need you to go to a different Waterstones store.

For those of you who know my home town of Birmingham, we have (for a short while longer) two large branches of Waterstones. We were originally scheduled to be in the High Street branch, but we’re relocating to the very beautiful New Street store instead, just a five minute walk away. This makes me happy: it’s an amazing building, and it’s where – three years ago this month – I got to interview one of my writing heroes, the legendary James Herbert (photographic evidence below). The store’s closing soon, so this is a great way to send it off in style.

As well as launching Wayne Simmons‘ new novel VOODOO CHILD and (hopefully) interviewing the book’s co-author Andre Duza via Skype, I’ll also be reading from the next HATER novel and talking a little about the upcoming movie.

We’ve space for over a hundred folks, but places are filling fast. If you’re intending on coming along, please send an email to the store (birminghamnewst@waterstones.com) or tweet @WstonesNewSt to let us know you’re coming along.

Event update is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

The second HATER trilogy

I’ve got some more HATER news for you: I’m writing a new HATER book. Actually, I’m writing three.

For me, the original HATER series was nicely self-contained. Although the whole world had gone crazy and imploded, the books were first and foremost Danny McCoyne’s story. I resisted even thinking about writing other books for a long time because I’d told all of Danny’s story and without a damn good reason to go back to the world of HATER, I thought any additional novels would just be a cynical cash in.

Enter Ed Barratt.

I introduced you to Ed last week. He’s the producer of the new HATER movie, and over the last few months he and I have talked extensively about how, if the first movie is successful, we’d want the rest of Danny’s story to be adapted for screen. The second HATER trilogy is a direct result of those conversations.

Details are pretty sparse at the moment, but click the link and I’ll tell you what I know.

As I’ve already said, in HATER I turned the whole world upside-down, but we only really ever saw what Danny McCoyne saw. What’s unique about this series, I think, is that we’re watching things from an unusual perspective: we’re rooting for the ‘bad guys’. But what keeps drawing me back to the HATER world is the fact we don’t really know who those bad guys are. Pretty much everyone – Haters and Unchanged alike – believe they’re doing the right thing for the right reason, no matter how vile or inhuman their actions might prove to be.

I guess what I’m saying is there’s two sides to every story. It would be easy for me to retell the story from the perspective of the Unchanged, but it always felt like that would be a cop-out (still, rewriting the same book from a different viewpoint clearly works for the occasional unfathomably popular shit-peddler). The new HATER books WON’T just be a rehash of the first three.

I don’t know when they’ll be released or by whom. If I decide to take the Infected Books route, expect to see the first novel sooner rather than later (early 2016, I hope). Whatever happens, I’ll keep you updated.

So having already told you that I can’t tell you much, is there anything I can say? The short answer is yes, but I don’t want to go into too much detail for fear of giving away too many surprises. For today I think I’ll just leave you with the titles of the upcoming books and a fact about each one:

ONE OF US WILL BE DEAD BY MORNING

The first new book feels to me like a cross between HATER, a slasher movie, and THE THING. It’s very claustrophobic. It’s also very different to HATER.

THE OTHER HALF

Is a parallel sequel to DOG BLOOD (same place, same time). The title has a double meaning.

THE LAST SUMMER

Bridges a gap between DOG BLOOD and THEM OR US. Danny McCoyne (probably) won’t appear, but you’ll definitely recognise a few other names and faces.

Exciting, eh? I’ll tell you more about the books as things progress. And in the next couple of weeks I’ll also update you on my other new series, THE SPACES BETWEEN.

The second HATER trilogy is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

THE HATER MOVIE

Right… I think that announcement is long overdue. The all-important press release follows. There will be opportunity to ask me questions in the coming weeks, and there will be ANOTHER HATER-related announcement next week. For now, here are the facts:

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Hook Pictures producer Ed Barratt and David Moody announce a deal to bring Moody’s classic novel of violence and paranoia – HATER – to the screen.

David Moody independently released HATER onto an unsuspecting world in 2006, and within a couple of short months the movie rights had been snapped up by Hollywood. The production was fast-tracked and attracted some big names. Then, as is frequently the way, the project stalled.

Moody and his fans were left in limbo.

The novel went on to be republished by St Martins Press in the US, Gollancz in the UK, Goldmann in Germany and by numerous other publishers around the world. Two well-received sequels – DOG BLOOD and THEM OR US – followed.

But still no movie.

Enter Ed Barratt and Hook Pictures. Ed said “From the first page of the series I could see the potential for Hater to be adapted into a defining piece of British cinema; that I’m now working with David towards that end is almost as big a thrill as the books themselves”.

Ed and David are thrilled to announce that the development of the HATER movie is now underway from a script by Moody.

“I’m delighted to be working with Ed on this project,” said Moody. “The buzz of having Hollywood interest in my work never really wore off, despite the film not reaching the screen, but there was always a part of me that regretted selling such a small-scale, gritty and uniquely British story to a huge production company. I met with Ed and was immediately impressed by his enthusiasm for the books, and it quickly became apparent that we share a common vision with regard to how this story should be told on screen. When the opportunity to take back the rights and work with Ed arose, I took it without hesitation.

“The central theme of HATER is, I think, more prescient than ever. It deals with some major sociological issues in a unique and confrontational way and I’m confident we’ll create a wildly original movie the likes of which hasn’t been seen before. HATER is a collision between the normality of day-to-day life in the UK today and a full-on apocalyptic nightmare.”

HATER is currently in development for a late 2016 shoot.

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And I’d like to introduce you to Ed:  Hook Pictures was founded in 2012 as a vehicle for creative producer Ed Barratt to continue to work with fresh and ambitious writing and directing talent to create critically and commercially successful feature films.

Hook Pictures’ debut feature film was Rowan Athale’s The Rise (aka Wasteland) – completed in 2012 – which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before screening at London, Rotterdam and Santa Barbara Film Festivals whilst selling to distributors around the world and being nominated for several awards. Ed Barratt was recognised by BAFTA as a Breakthrough Brit for his work on the film.

Hook Pictures has a strong slate of projects in development and relationships with some of the UK’s most exciting new writing and directing talent. Three films are slated to enter production in 2015/16 and the company is venturing into new and original IP by launching comic book publisher Ninth Man in association with leading graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero.

THE HATER MOVIE is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Attention Team HATER – Coming next week…

…the first of the big HATER announcements I’ve been teasing this last couple of months.

With thanks to “Team HATER” founding member and chief T-shirt designer, JulieCutie. Follow her on Instagram here.

Attention Team HATER – Coming next week… is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

War Book

If you’re a regular here you should be aware of the legend that is (birthday boy) Ryan Fleming. As well as being a key member of Moody’s Survivors, he’s also a film director (WELCOME TO ESSEX), an intrepid reporter and zombie-experience survivor, and was a featured corpse in AUTUMN: AFTERMATH.

Ryan’s also an avid collector and watcher of post-apocalyptic movies and has given me plenty of great suggestions over the years. He mentioned another movie recently – WAR BOOK – and I’m really pleased he did. It’s a gripping BBC movie which is small in focus (it takes place largely in one room with a cast of ten), but large in scope.

It was recently shown on the BBC – UK viewers, you can still catch the film on iPlayer until around 6 September.

The premise is deceptively simple: a group of civil servants are shut in a room to practice their response and decisions to a rapidly escalating international crisis, triggered when Mumbai is hit with a nuclear weapon.

Here’s the trailer. Click the link for my thoughts.

WAR BOOK transcends its confined setting to tell a frighteningly plausible story. Films like this remind us that, no matter what the size or source of problem we face, the outcome almost always rests on the actions and interactions of people. When our backs are up against the wall (as they inevitably will be at some point), will we be able to put aside our petty differences, preconceptions and personal beliefs for the sake of the common good? Is there even such a thing as the common good anymore?

Performances by the whole cast here are strong, but I’ll admit to having reservations as the film began. Some of the characters felt a little forced, particularly the public schooled-minister who was clearly bred for politics with little care or appreciation of the impact his decisions would have on hundreds of thousands of people. He felt like a discarded character from BBC’s THE THICK OF IT. And yet, as the movie developed, each character made sense. Slightly caricatured without being cartoonish, each of them effectively represented a different swathe of society.

This is the kind of film which won’t appeal to everyone, but it appealed to me. I write about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations, and that’s what you have here on two levels. Firstly, as players in the war game exercise itself, the characters are forced to make huge decisions with incalculable consequences (and it’s sobering to think that individuals will have to make similar decisions at some point, particularly when you look at the individuals concerned…). Secondly, as people with their own lives and families and problems and conflicts, they struggle to have to put all that to one side and accept that there are more important things to consider than everything they hold dear, than everything and everyone that matters to them.

WAR BOOK reminds us that, ultimately, we’re at the mercy of the personalities we elect to represent us. And in today’s political environment, that’s a bloody terrifying thought.

I recommend this movie without hesitation. Strong work by the entire cast, and also by director Tom Harper and writer . The film hasn’t been widely distributed as yet, but as I said at the beginning, UK folks can watch it on iPlayer for the next couple of weeks. Please do.

For release updates etc. follow @Warbookfilm

War Book is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Massive Halloween event announcement

I’m very, very, VERY excited to announce that Infected Books will be taking over the huge High Street Birmingham branch of Waterstones this Halloween (actually Halloween eve, but it’s close enough). You are cordially invited to join Wayne Simmons, myself, and other Infected Books alumni as we launch new books (Wayne and Andre Duza‘s VOODOO CHILD), read from new, as yet unannounced books, and maybe even reveal why 2016 is shaping up to be the year of Infected Books.

This is going to be an absolutely brilliant evening, so put it in your diaries and please do come along if you can (Halloween-themed fancy dress optional but strongly encouraged). Keep an eye on the Waterstones event page here. Things kick off at 7:00pm on Friday 30 October.

Wayne and I will also be appearing at the Bristol Horror Con at the Future Inn, Bristol a couple of weeks earlier on 17 October. Filling the space vacated by Wayne’s short-lived but already much-missed SCARDiff, it’s another one I’m really looking forward to. More details can be found here.

Massive Halloween event announcement is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Arm N Toof’s Dead Time Podcast

I was absolutely honoured to be interviewed by best-selling authors ARMAND ROSAMILIA and MARK TUFO recently for their ARM N TOOF’S DEAD TIME PODCAST. I had a great time talking to Armand and Mark, and you can listen to the interview now on the podcast. Click the player below.

And do yourself a favour while you’re at it… subscribe to the show because it’s excellent: iTunes / Android / RSS

Arm N Toof’s Dead Time Podcast is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Story Behind the Book

Back in November 2013 I was asked to contribute an article about the genesis of the AUTUMN series to the fine folk at upcoming4.me, a great literary site. You can read the piece I wrote at this link.

I’m pleased to advise that my article has been collected alongside numerous others and released in print form as part of THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK VOLUME 5 which is available now. It contains essays from a large number of writers, some of whom will no doubt be familiar to you… Sarah Pinborough, Paul Kane, Stephen Volk, Charlaine Harris, and Gareth L Powell to name but five. The collection is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

In case you were wondering (because I’m sure you were), the front cover shows a computer manipulated image of pFAK protein in RPMI-7951, taken by Ivana, one of the book’s editors.

And if you’re interested in a little more behind-the-scenes AUTUMN, check out this link to the retrospective pieces I wrote about each book in the series a few years ago.

Story Behind the Book is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Das Mädchen im Keller: Psychothriller

I’m very pleased to announce the first fruits of the Infected Books and Voodoo Press partnership… THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENT – Wayne Simmons‘ nasty little bestselling tale, is now available in German. German readers, pick up a copy of Das Mädchen im Keller: Psychothriller from iBooks or Amazon.

And there will be more Infected Books titles getting the Voodoo Press treatment in the near future. Next up is my own anti-science fiction novel, TRUST.

Das Mädchen im Keller: Psychothriller is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

A couple of times recently I’ve talked about remakes of classic horror movies. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. I maintain that in order for a remake to be a critical success, it has to have a point. It might be that the original fell short in some way, or that film-making technology has advanced sufficiently to benefit the telling of a particular story. Or maybe a sociological, environmental or political change or similar has given the premise a new lease of life.

Unfortunately, the George Romero scripted, has very little reason to exist. I caught the remake on it’s opening weekend twenty-five years ago (twenty-five years… how did that happen?) and I took the opportunity to watch it again recently. I really enjoyed it when I was twenty, and I wondered how it would hold up today. The short answer – it didn’t. Not particularly well, anyway.

It’s a new night for terror – and a new dawn in horror movie-making when special-effects genius Tom Savini (creator of the spectacularly gruesome make-up in FRIDAY THE 13TH and CREEPSHOW) brings modern technology to this colourful remake of ‘s 1968 cult classic. Seven strangers are trapped in an isolated farmhouse while cannibalistic zombies – awakened from death by the return of a radioactive space probe – wage a relentless attack, killing (and eating) everyone in their path. The classic for the 90s: graphic, gruesome and more terrifying than ever!

I have to admit, I was really disappointed with my recent re-watch of the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake. It’s taken me a few weeks to work out exactly why, and I think there are a number of reasons.

There’s still quite a bit to like here. Some good gore and make-up effects, strong performances by most of the cast (particularly apart (another film on my list to re-watch and write about), his more recent zombie movies pale into insignificance against the original NIGHT, DAWN and DAY. I don’t know if you’ve seen them? DIARY OF THE DEAD was pretty awful, and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.

Like I said, the remake of NIGHT seems to set this descent into motion. For me, it’s where Romero stopped innovating and started mimicking – where his movies stopped setting the rules and raising the bar, and instead just followed the crowd like a lone zombie at the back of a pack of other featureless undead buggers.

This suggestion is borne out by the fact that, for the most part, this film spends its running time mimicking the original: beat for beat, moment for moment. But then, as if to check we’re still paying attention, it’ll make a subtle and often unnecessary change. Slight spoilers ahead. What looks like the first ghoul in the replay of the cemetery scene, isn’t. Barbara has a character arc which is almost diametrically opposite of the whiney, mouse-like woman from the original. And most regrettably, Ben is denied the perfect ending the character faced in the 1968 movie. That said, , the 1990 Ben, is such a strong screen presence that he’s watchable pretty much whatever he’s doing.

But do you see where I’m going here? These are just changes made for changes sake. It’s like Romero needed reasons for people to watch this remake and so set traps. In retrospect it feels cheap. It leaves a bad taste.

The timeless quality of the 1968 original is lost here, and is replaced by a full-on 1990’s vibe, a point driven home by the godawful electronic soundtrack which destroys any atmosphere the moment it starts playing.

I feel like I’m being unfair here, because this movie isn’t a total write-off. It has a lot going for it, but falls at the first hurdle because it’s a remake of a film which didn’t need to be remade. Please do check it out though if you haven’t already. It’s available on DVD and VOD from all the usual outlets including Amazon and iTunes.

But if you’ve got an hour and a half and are in the mood for a truly ground-breaking zombie movie, watch this instead:

Night of the Living Dead (1990) is a post from: David Moody - author of AUTUMN and HATER