Lex Thomas's Blog, page 5
August 10, 2014
Netflix Menu - Foodie Horror
You love food. You love horror. You want to watch three movies and a repulsive reality show pilot. I've got a foodie horror Netflix menu for you.
First up is Omnivores. The original Spanish title is Omnivoros, which sounds much cooler. It's the story of a respected food critic who investigates rumors of a clandestine restaurant that serves human flesh. It's really well done, and it was cool that it was Spanish, and the horror scenes themselves are stark and brutal. I don't want to spoil anything but it's a realistic tension builder from last year about foodies and cannibalism and there's a disturbing villain and an extra disturbing right hand man. Very disturbing. Watch on an empty stomach.
If you were down for Omnivores, you should go ahead and pair it with the flavor of Dumplings. This Chinese horror movie is totally gross and quietly horrific. A retired movie starlet hates that she is losing her looks and she finds a woman who cooks magical dumplings that have the power to make you look young again. Once you discover the secret ingredient you'll want to puke. Like Omnivores there's a lot of focus on cooking and eating and chewing, and on gross mouth noises, but despite how disturbing it is the tone of Dumplings is much calmer and quieter most of the time than than the turn of the screw tension of Omnivores.
Side note- If the part you like about Dumplings is an aging actress resorting to magic to fix her problems, and you're not against melodramatic Bollywood horror movies with song and dance numbers, than you could watch Raaz 3. If you want more Bollywood after that, try the romantic thriller Raavan. One character talks a lot about having knives rattling around inside his skull, which made me like him.
Third is a childhood favorite of mine that is not up to the quality of the first two. The acting isn't great, the budget is small, and the practical special effects look cartoonish by modern standards, but when you're putting together a foodie horror playlist it's hard not to include a movie about a white goo called The Stuff that is marketed as a replacement for all food, and that secretly controls the mind of whoever eats it. All food being replaced by a processed white goo = a foodie's worst nightmare. The movie is a lot of fun, more of a light dessert of ridiculousness after the heartier meal of the first two.The TV commercials for The Stuff that they made for the movie are great too.
And finally, if you've ever wanted to watch real footage of a dead lion being skinned, gutted, and having all the meat flensed from its bones, you should check out Skeleton, Inc.. I think it was a pilot that didn't get picked up because there's only one episode, and I can see why. This stuff is hard to look at. The weird thing about it was once they pull the skin off the lion it looked so much like a monster from a horror movies that had a new respect for makeup artists. It looked like something I might have thought was cheesy if I'd seen it in a movie, but clearly I would have been wrong. The show is about a family business that provides skeletons for medical schools and museums, and it's their job to get all the flesh off of those bones, use flesh eating beetles to clean them, and assemble them back together. They're doing this disgusting work for a good purpose and it's actually pretty interesting to watch how they do it, but the first segment when they take the lion apart is gruesome and real, and bracing to watch, especially for meat eaters.
Also, this has nothing to do with foodie horror but watch from 51:53 to 52:50 of Money Talks (1972). Yikes!
Thomas
July 22, 2014
Some pics from the last four years
It's been about 4 years since we started working on the Quarantine novel series. I can't believe it's been that long! I was looking through old photos and found a handful of writing pics from that time. In honor of Book 3 coming out today I thought I'd share some.
This was the writing area of the apartment I lived in while we wrote the first 2 books. Kind of cramped and crowded but I found that comforting.
Here's Lex working on the couch in the other half of the room. I'm taking this photo from my desk.
Here Lex is again, this time more stressed out.
I like to write in a dark room. It helps me to focus.
Writing requires lots of post it notes.
My desk is always a complete mess.
This is a hand drawn calendar I put on my wall in the month leading up to our deadline for the first draft The Loners The big numbers are the numbers of chapters that I'm marking down on the day I finish them. The bottom row is chapters that needed to be revised.
Here's Lex working on the couch at my painting studio, we'd work there sometimes too.
Here's the hallway in the building where I had my studio, very Quarantine-y.
At B&N at the Grove in LA for the release of The Saints.
Drawing characters puking their lungs out.
July 8, 2014
LEX THOMAS JULY BLOG TOUR
To celebrate the release of THE SAINTS on paperback (today!) and THE BURNOUTS on hardback and ebook (July 22nd), we'll be all over the web in July. Look for interviews, guest posts and more from us here:
Wednesday, July 9th - Pinky's Favorite Reads
Thursday, July 10th - A Bookish Escape
Friday, July 11th - Icey Books
Saturday, July 12th - Bookaholics Anonymous
Sunday, July 13th - Books with Bite
Monday, July 14th - Bittersweet Enchantment
Tuesday, July 15th - Curling Up with a Good Book
Wednesday, July 16th - Karin's Book Nook
Thursday, July 17th - Ex Libris Kate
Friday, July 18th - Live To Read
Saturday, July 19th - Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Sunday, July 20th - Page Turner's Blog
Monday, July 21st - Young Adult Books: What We're Reading Now
Tuesday, July 22nd (THE BURNOUTS pub day!) - The Children's Book Review
And a few more still to be announced, so check back here for QUARANTINE news all month . . .
June 30, 2014
THE FINAL SOUNDTRACK
For every QUARANTINE book, we've created a playlist to accompany your read. The time has come for the third and final one. Play it loud.
If you're hungry for more of the music that influenced us, check out THE LONERS and THE SAINTS playlists. And don't forget to stock up on cotton balls. 'Cause your ears are gonna bleeeeeed . . .
QUARANTINE UNBOXING
It's happening. The end is near . . .
QUARANTINE: THE SAINTS now available on paperback. QUARANTINE: THE BURNOUTS available on ebook and hardback July 22nd.
Any guesses who this?
June 29, 2014
FOL-LOW UUUUUUUS . . .
THE REVIEWS ARE COMIN' IN
originally posted May 14, 2014
Out on July 22nd, the final installment of the QUARANTINE trilogy, THE BURNOUTS, is already receiving some exciting reviews with Kirkus Reviews calling it the "By far, the fastest and funniest of the series." And in Booklist's Starred Review, Daniel Kraus warns: "Even if someone tried to put a parental guidance sticker on this title, it would blister right off from the toxic rot inside."
If you're new to QUARANTINE, we envy you. With just under two months until the publication of THE BURNOUTS, you've got the perfect amount of time to read THE LONERS and THE SAINTS to prepare. But be warned, this series may rock you. Reader reviews on GoodReads have called our books "twisted and depraved" with readers going so far as to say, "It kind of destroyed me." Read at your own risk.
ETCHING QUARANTINE
originally posted December 20, 2013
31 HORROR FILMS IN 31 DAYS
originally posted November 4, 2013
Once again, we accepted Daniel Kraus' unholy 31 day horror movie challenge, where he asks- can you binge-watch 31 horror movies across the month of October?
A horror movie a day can be a lot, and to make it worse, somehow we always have a book due when #31HorrorFilms31Days comes around. Last year we were trying to finish Book 2 when we took on the 31 days challenge, and I bet the sheer volume of horror we were consuming ended up having an effect on how brutal The Saints got in the end. This time it was Book 3 we had to finish, so if the conclusion to our trilogy ends up being too scary, please blame Daniel Kraus.
But, you'll never have to do that because Book 3 is going to KICK ASS, and #31HorrorFilms31Days gave us an excuse to watch some killer horror movies while we made sure of that. I personally saw a few that I'd been meaning to see for a while, like Society,Possession, and Pin.
We both improved our numbers this year. Lex got to 19 and I cracked the elusive 31. Here's some pictures of the scenes that are now seared into our brains, and our movie lists.
I'm gonna watch The Promise (1979), and Somewhere in Time now to cleanse my palate.
-Thomas
THOMAS' LIST:
1) POSSESSION (1981) Sam Neil and his hysterical wife get a divorce and lose their minds. Some tentacle sex.
2) RAZORBACK - A New Yorker searches for his wife in the Outback and encounters greasy local sadists and a huge boar.
3) THE NEW KIDS - The only horrors here are James Spader's hair and eyebrows. #hesthebest
4) V/H/S/2 - Found footage horror is both awesome and annoying. Fav- the POV zombie transformation. #daylighthorror
5) AB-NORMAL BEAUTY- Photographing death inspires a sad artist then a secret admirer starts sending her snuff films.
6) LIPS OF BLOOD- A wistful man recovers a childhood memory and it leads him to a castle of alluring lady vampires.
7) A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE - Her serial killer ex is looking for her. Well made, but draining.
8) RAAZ 3 - An aging actress resorts to black magic to destroy her younger rival. My first Bollywood Horror.
9) JUG FACE- These backwoods country folk have their own ways. Like worshiping the pit, praying to the pit, etc.
10) NUDE FOR SATAN - A man and woman take refuge in a castle and reality warps into a sexy nightmare.
11) PRIMAL - Leeches, monster teeth, campers getting slaughtered, and an evil cave. Fun.
12) THE WOMAN - A feral female Rambo vs a psychopathic misogynist family man. Had me rooting against my gender.
13) BRAINSCAN - Eddie Furlong plays an extreme video game and then gets blackmailed by an evil Drop Dead Fred.
14) MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK - Johnny won't let death and decay keep him from taking the hot girl to prom.
15) TRAPPED ASHES - A not that great horror anthology, but one segment does contain blood sucking vampire boobs.
16) HEAD OF THE FAMILY - The Burbs meets Nothing But Trouble with a guy who's just a head.
17) UNINHABITED - Aussie lovers vacation on a remote island and find something evil there and blah blah blah.
18) THE IRON ROSE - A French couple make love in a cemetery only to discover they can't find a way out. Very French.
19) VIY - A Russian monk must pray over a dead girl's body for 3 nights and withstand a witch, ghouls, and a demon.
20) HELL BABY- Horror comedy from the Reno 911 guys. Horny undead granny, gore, gags, and Rob Corddry. I liked it.
21) HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON - The bad guy: "A woman should live only until her wedding night, love once, then die."
22) PIN - A brother and sister have a complicated relationship involving incestuous urges and a skinless medical dummy.
23) PSYCHOMANIA - A hell-raising biker gang dies and comes back invincible and immortal to raise more hell.
24) CASTLE FREAK - Sometimes when you inherit a castle it comes with a horny, murderous freak. #beentoolong
25) SOCIETY - Everybody is out to get Billy, and it all ends in a sexual body horror mess. Mind blown.
26) THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM - Nope, still not into torture horror. The grandma from Happy Gilmore was a witch though.
27) TORMENTED - A dying rabbit. Men in giant rabbit suits. A floating rabbit backpack. This director loves rabbits.
28) THE EYE - Blind girl gets cornea transplants and then can see ghosts. I'd sue.
29) FORGETTING THE GIRL - A headshot photographer finds ways to forget his romantic failures. Horrifyingly indie.
30) DOG SOLDIERS - Yes! All werewolves should be big monster ones. It's the worst when they turn into normal wolves.
31) CRONOS - Heartwarming horror involving an immortality scarab and the need to Iick blood off the floor. Kick ass.
LEX'S LIST:
1) 30 DAYS OF NIGHT - aka my life this month. Hartnet finds emotion more scary than vampires. Lesson: avoid Alaska.
2) FRIGHT NIGHT (2011) Better left in the crypt. McLovin as Evil Ed was first sign of things gone wrong. Oh well.
Took a break from #31HorrorFilms31Days to watch a movie with my wife. Jennifer Lawrence still ended up chainsawing her fathers hands off.
3) GOD TOLD ME TO - Watched this Larry Cohen gem for one reason. Please refer to title.
4) SLEEPWALKERS - Incest. Morphing Trans Ams. Cat attacks. Death by corn cob. Cameos galore. This one's got it all.
5) BODY MELT - A bad batch of vitamin supplement makes everything gross. No help from the 90s.
6) DOMINION: PRQUL TO THE EXRCST - Remember the parts of Exorcist you didn't care about? This is 2.5 hrs of that.
7) THE WICKER TREE - Plays like ABC Family did the Wicker Man. I'd take more bees and Nic Cage ladypunchin over this.
8) CHRISTINE- Balki lookalike gets turned into an asshole by the Jennifer Jason Leigh of cars. You know how it goes.
9) MAGIC- Anthony Hopkins and a puppet go nuts in a cabin. Ann Margaret is somehow seduced. Hard to tell whos crazier.
10) NES4: DREAM MASTER - Standard Freddie Fare. He laughs alot. Wears Ray Bans. Eats pizza made of "soul" meatballs.
11) SILENT HILL: REVELATIONS - In spite of its title, nothing in that goddamn town has gotten any clearer.
12) TAKE SHELTER - Technically, an "indie drama" but it's the scariest movie I've seen all month.
13) EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING - aka Indiana Merrin & The Temple of Satan. Actually fun. Goes full Renny in the end.
14) VAMP - Albino, floppyhat Billy Drago. Rabid street urchins. Grace Jones as a stripper. Are you grossed out yet?
15) EDEN LAKE - Brutal and bosomy. I liked half of it.
16) GREMLINS 2- MetaGremlins! @joe_dante goes no holds barred with the premise. Result is a fun farewell to the 80s.
17) RESOLUTION - True West meets Blair Witch. Loved it.
18) 1408 - Cusack checks into the most annoying hotel room on earth. Overacting ensues.
19) ALIEN - Space truckers pick up a slimy hitchhiker. Still rad.
MONSTERS & MAYHEM TOUR
originally posted September 16, 2013
Want to know more about Lex Thomas and QUARANTINE? Check out the Monsters and Mayhem Tour. We'll be visiting some of your favorite YA blogs through September, along with Ilsa J. Bick, who'll be talking ASHES, of course! Here's where to find the stops:
September 9th: Lex Thomas at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
September 10th: Ilsa J. Bick at Mundie Moms
September 11th: Lex Thomas at All Things Urban Fantasy
September 12th: Ilsa J. Bick at Cari's Book Blog
September 13th: Lex Thomas at Colorimetry
September 16th: Ilsa J. Bick at House of a la Mode
September 17th: Lex Thomas at Read For Your Future
September 18th: Ilsa J. Bick at Katie's Book Blog
September 19th: Lex Thomas at My Shelf Confessions
September 20th: Ilsa J. Bick at Reading Teen
