P.L. McMillan's Blog, page 7

The Call (Korean:콜): Movie Review

Well, well, well, dearest reader. Are you surprised? Two reviews in one week?

I guess I was feeling generous this week!

The Movie

Based on the 2011 British and Puerto Rican film The Caller, The Call (Korean: 콜) is a 2020 South Korean thriller horror film, directed by Lee Chung-hyun, and starring Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo. The Call follows two young women, Seo-yeon and Young-sook, who are from different times and are connected through a phone that interchanges their fates.

Connected by phone in the same home but 20 years apart, a serial killer puts another woman’s past — and life — on the line to change her own fate. — Netflix page

The Review

This movie was such a thrill! Every time I thought I knew where The Call was heading, it twisted into a new direction!

The initial concept is super interesting. A young woman returns to her family home, loses her phone, and ends up having to use the landline — except the landline connects her to another young woman twenty years in the past. Imagine the possibilities — you could share stock information to her, share information that could ripple forward and affect your life! Everything starts out nice, the women bond and share about each other’s lives. They even work together to execute a huge timeline changing event to benefit the woman from the present…

Of course this is a horror movie and things begin to twist quickly. The woman from the past isn’t who the other woman thinks — imagine, someone being able to affect you from the past with no way for you to stop them or get to them, or reverse anything they’ve done. It’s so sinister and terrifying!

Gripping, grim, and shocking. This movie was brutal. Perfectly paced, well acted (the two female leads were astounding), and with an ending that left me absolutely shook — I am still thinking about this movie a week later.

I even messaged my younger sister right after finishing asking if she’d watched it to suggest it if she hadn’t! I absolutely cannot recommend this movie enough. Horror fans need to see this chilling and gritty film.

10/10

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Skinamarink: Movie Review

Hello, my dearest reader!

I’ve got a movie review for you here today — you may recognize the title, Skinamarink has been making the rounds in horror industry discussions with polarizing opinions. I watched it a while ago, but had so many books I wanted to review, I kinda forgot it for a bit. I kept this review spoiler-free!

The Movie

Skinamarink is a 2022 Canadian experimental horror film written and directed by Kyle Edward Ball as his feature directorial debut. Fun fact: Ball’s 2020 short film, Heck, was developed as a proof of concept for Skinamarink.

Shot entirely in ball’s childhood home in Edmonton, Canada, Skinamarink premiered at the 26th Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal on July 25th, 2022.

The film stars Lucas Paul and Dali Rose Tetreault as two young kids who wake up and find their world completely changed:

Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows & blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party. They play well worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that eventually some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while it becomes clear that something is watching over them. — Skinamarink website

The Review

Skinamarink missed the mark for me. Running at 100 minutes, it felt way longer, and I often felt my attention wandering during the excessive amount of ceiling shots.

A lot of reviews and friends have discussed how they found it to be an effective experimental film that recreated a childhood “fear of the dark” with its liminal spaces and deliberate vagueness that allowed the audience to make whatever connections they wanted to. For me, it was ineffective.

The ending is also left vague, I’ve looked up a lot of interpretations — feel free to do so as well, I won’t include any spoilers here.

To me, it was just dull. Lots of reviews call it “elevated” and “terrifying”, I guess I just don’t see it. Maybe it it had been edited to be shorter and tighter? It just dragged for me. I watched it because of all the hype and then afterwards was just…glad it was over so I could go do something else.

Obviously the film being at child height, never showing the kids’ faces, subdued audio (for the most part), the dark setting, and prolonged silent shots were supposed to evoke something more. There were a few jumps cares that felt out of place and just grating. And again — a lot of scenes of just the ceiling.

That said, I guess maybe I wouldn’t say you shouldn’t watch it? It’s obviously a very derisive film so you might end up loving it!

0/10

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Interview: Laura Keating

Today I chat with a fellow Canadian horror author, Laura Keating, about her upcoming debut novella: Agony’s Lodestone. Fans of found footage, weird fiction, and cosmic horror: Agony’s Lodestone is the book for you! As for me, I absolutely loved this book.

This interview is spoiler-free for Agony’s Lodestone.

HOWEVER! We did end up chatting about Laurel Hightower's book, Crossroads. Laura was worried what she said might be considered a little spoilery, so you are now warned!

Pre-order Agony's Lodestone

Agony’s Lodestone: Book Review

Hello my dearest reader!

I have yet another review/interview combo for you this week! I’ve been a busy, busy bee — speaking of bees:

My short fiction, “Buzzkill”, was adapted into audio form by the lovely folks at The Nosleep Podcast!

Episode art by Kelly Turnbull

Produced by: Phil Michalski

Cast: Narrator – Atticus Jackson, Anthony – Kyle Akers, Anthony’s Wife – Sarah Ruth Thomas

Listen here

Now onwards to the review! This book releases on April 14th, so I kept this review spoiler-free for you, dearest reader.

The Author

Laura Keating is a horror writer from St. Andrew, New Brunswick.

Her short fiction has been published in many fine publications. She authors stories about monsters both human and unnatural, traditional creep-fests, and contemporary quiet horror filled with dread. Her debut novella, Agony's Lodestone, is due for release April 2023 from Tenebrous Press.

She lives in Montreal with her husband, son, two cats, and possibly one ghost. — Laura Keating’s website

A fellow Canadian horror author, you can catch Keating on her website or on Twitter.

The Book

The night Joanne went missing, Aggie’s world ended. When a videotape arrives twenty years later containing hints of their sister’s fate, Aggie and her two remaining siblings set off in search of answers and closure. As they track Joanne’s last known movements to the rocky Atlantic coast, their surroundings embrace them almost too completely, and the cryptic tape’s message changes. And changes. And changes again.

Lost in a labyrinthine forest that shifts right in front of their eyes; trapped, exhausted, and pushed to their limits; by day, Aggie and her family struggle to defy the unearthly force that has taken hold of their fate, while by night a hideous figure stalks them from the shadows. — Keating’s website

Coming out from Tenebrous Press on April 14th, Agony’s Lodestone, follows siblings reuniting after years after separation. As kids, their sister went missing. As adults, they get a second chance of finding out why.

An amazing special pre-order is available right now so don’t wait!

Pre-order AGONY'S LODESTONE The Review

Fans of found footage, weird fiction, and cosmic horror: Agony’s Lodestone is the book for you! As for me, I absolutely loved this book.

Right away, the novel grabs you by the throat with the awkward reunion of the siblings, along with a mysterious video tape, then it doesn’t let go. Broken up by flashback chapters, the novel is fast paced and ripe with dread.

I loved the found footage introduction at the very beginning, which hooked me immediately. I mean, a mysterious VHS? Who doesn’t love that?

From that point on, Agony’s Lodestone doesn’t let go. Keating skillfully weaves in the natural landscape of the Canadian coastal area, folklore, and grief to create a weird, twisting horror tale like none other.

One of the strongest aspect of this novel is Keating’s use of atmosphere and the landscape, you can practically feel the woods around you, feel the ancient stone beneath the scrub and grass, and hear the booms of the distant sea. Also making appearances are some natural (though rather unsettlingly unnatural-seeming) landscape features of that region. (Also peep the call-out to my hometown, Winnipeg!)

The characters, as well, form a powerful focal point of this book. Each of the siblings shoulder their own traumas surrounding the loss of their sister, and their own methods of coping. After twenty years, they are forced to face these traumas and their own relationships head-on surrounded by a hostile landscape. Aggie, especially, is such a compelling character.

Fans of The Blair Witch Project and The House of Leaves, should definitely check Agony’s Lodestone out!

10/10

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p.s. don’t forget to check back in on Thursday when I interview Laura Keating on writing and Agony’s Lodestone.

Interview: Carson Winter

Today I chat with Carson Winter about his upcoming novella, Soft Targets, coming out from Tenebrous Press on March 22nd. Along with talking about his upcoming book, we also discuss writing craft, inspirations, and more! Check it out today!

Pre-Order Soft Targets

Soft Targets: Novella Review

Hello dearest reader!

I have a special week planned for you because this is the week I review Carson Winter’s Soft Targets and also interview him on the novella as well! That’s right, another review and interview combo!

Soft Targets drops on March 22nd so I kept this review completely spoiler-free!

The Author

You’re probably familiar with Carson on this blog now! Not only do I often read his stuff, but we started a podcast together as well! Check us out at Dead Languages Podcast where we chat all about horror and the writing craft. I’ve shared his standard bio on a previous review, so I’ll use the bio I wrote for him for the Dead Lamguages website:

Carson is a curmudgeonly horror author whose sole aim is to make his readers wallow in despair. His dark tales have found homes in a multitude of anthologies and podcasts. Besides short fiction, Carson is also responsible but not apologetic for such novellas as: Reunion Special (standalone), I Am Not to be Replaced (Bloodlines: Four Tales of Familial Fear), and The Guts of Myth (Split Scream Vol 1). His next great hit: Soft Targets — coming out March 2023. When not writing and despairing, Carson plays guitar and is the co-editor at Cosmic Horror Monthly.

The Novella

From the Tenebrous Press website:

You know that office bromance: two of a kind, always taking their lunch together, always wearing the same sly grin. Only ever a hair away from a cold joke about how spreadsheets are a living hell; about taking a bullet if it means going home early on Friday. Sometimes in these fantasies, they’re heroes being hauled out on a stretcher.

Sometimes they’re the ones pulling the trigger.

Now, say these guys discover a loophole that makes some days less real than others—less permanent—and start to act out their violent fantasies without fear of reprisal. Why shouldn’t they? Tomorrow, everything will go back to normal, with no one the wiser but them.

They’ll always remember what it felt like to act on their basest impulses. They’ll know how it could feel to do it again.

Maybe you don’t know these guys. Maybe you don’t want to.

SOFT TARGETS is a reality-bending novella about malignant malaise; the surrender to violence; and the addictive appeal of tragedy as entertainment.

The Review

I couldn’t put Soft Targets down. Simply put.

Let’s address the big thing first. The book is advertised as dealing with the controversial topic of mass shootings so that might turn some people away. Regular readers of my blog will know that I am not a fan of what I call “gore porn” — that is movies/books that seem to glorify gore. Soft Targets does not do this. While the main characters discuss violence a lot, there are only a few gory scenes.

Instead, Carson focusses on the psychology of his characters. Why they feel the way they do, what has driven them to where they are now, and why they made the decisions they do.

I mean, what would you do if you had a day where you could do anything you wanted without consequences? To me, Soft Targets achieves the message that The Purge tried to do.

Another theme is of corporate horror. Office buildings are like liminal spaces and that lends a lot to the character study that Carson achieves. Who hasn’t been victim to intrusive thoughts, who hasn’t dreamed of being free of a 9 to 5 job but can’t because of bills and obligations?

In Soft Targets, Carson explores this very question to the extreme.

Authentic, horrifying, and tragic — Soft Targets exposes the horror that might be lurking just underneath the polished surface of society.

8/10

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p.s. don’t forget to pop back on Thursday when I’ll be interviewing Carson Winter on the inspirations, the process, and more!

Smile: Movie Review

Welcome back, dear reader! I am here with a movie review for you today because I finally got around to watching Smile!

Before we dive in, just wanted to remind you that I am now involved in a podcast! I co-host it with author Carson Winter and we chat about the horror writing craft and the industry! It’s sometimes silly, sometimes raunchy, but we hope that listeners have fun listening! You can check out our episodes, which drop every Wednesday!

Check out the podcast today!

We are trying to get it on more platforms so bear with us. It takes a bit!

But onwards to the review! A little warning, there are some minor spoilers around the themes represented in the film below.

The Movie

Smile is a 2022 supernatural horror film written and directed by Parker Finn, based on a short film he made in 2020 called Laura Hasn’t Slept. It stars Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Kal Penn, and Rob Morgan. Smile premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 22, 2022, and was released in the United States on September 30, 2022.

Smile follows a therapist named Rose who witnesses a gruesome suicide and then must race to find out the bizarre and haunting origins of an “infectious” supernatural experience that drives people to suicide.

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. — Smile website

The Review

This movie was fun! It gave me Ring or It Follows vibes with how the supernatural “event” is passed around. Besides the horrifying entity that is haunted Rose, the film also deals with the heavy theme of PTSD and guilt. Rose is haunted by the memory of her mother’s death and this ties into why she, among everyone, the entity chose her. I thought the supernatural aspect of the entity was well executed to achieve max amount of creepiness and I really enjoyed the lore built into the movie. As well, the acting was on point and the pacing was superb. The film kept me pinned in suspense the whole time, all the way to the shocking end.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, if you haven’t watched it already. It was a great little grim horror movie and definitely went above what I was initially expecting from a movie that seemed to be about scary smiley people! If you have watched it, let me know what you think below, and don’t forget to check out my podcast!

8/10

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My New Podcast!

A bit of a belated post here, but since yesterday was a holiday, I hope you forgive me!

I spent the weekend away from home for a writer’s retreat. It was a lot of fun. I was there with fellow horror writers, Ryan Marie Ketterer and Bridget D. Brave.

We did writing sprints, played board games, watched horror short films on YouTube, and visited the uber haunted McPike House! It was awesome because I did feel like my writing was a bit of a chore lately and this spiced it up again!

But enough about me, let’s talk some more — about me! And my new podcast which I cohost with author Carson Winter: Dead Languages — A Horror Fiction Craft Podcast!

In this podcast, Carson and I chat about writing, challenges, tropes, imposter syndrome and more! Episode 0 is already out now, and ep 1 comes out tomorrow!

Check out the website here!

Dead Languages Podcast

So check it out and send us some listener mail if you want! It’s been a lot of fun so far!

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Interview: Patrick Barb

Today's a special and crazy interview because, not only am I joined by Patrick Barb to discuss writing and his novelette Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare -- but author Carson Winter is cohosting! Needless to say, it got nutty. Also fair warning -- there are some minor spoilers in this interview so grab a copy right away!

Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare: Novelette Review

Happy Monday to you, dearest reader!

I am so excited about a few new projects I have on my plate and I wish I could tell you more, but alas — us writers are a secretive folk, only coaxed out with snacks and affirmations.

So instead, how about a review?

I have another double duo morsel for you this week! That’s right! Another review and interview combo! Check out the review below (there is mild spoilers below) and come back on Thursday for the interview!

The Author

Patrick Barb is an author of weird, dark, and horrifying tales, currently living (and trying not to freeze to death) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of the novellas Gargantuana’s Ghost (Grey Matter Press), Turn (Alien Buddha Press), and The Nut House (serialized in Cosmic Horror Monthly), as well as the novelette Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare (Spooky House Press) and the forthcoming dark fiction collection Pre-Approved for Haunting (Keylight Books / Turner Publishing, October 2023). He is an Active Member of the HWA and a Full Member of the SFWA. Visit him at patrickbarb.com. — bio provided by Patrick Barb himself

The Book

In a near-future United States, surveillance technology's the hottest trend in high-tech parenting. Children have their every move monitored from birth, thanks to repurposed military drones and contact lens digital cameras that show life from your child's perspective. But in the aftermath of a tragedy at his son's high school, one father must contend with the dark side of his reliance on these innovations. — Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare Goodreads description

Barb’s Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare is a 2022 novelette from Spooky House Press that explores a possible Black Mirror-esque future where technology allows parents way too much visibility into their child’s life. Why go to their birthday party when you can send a drone instead and watch? Why ask them how their day of when you can see what they saw through their hi-tech contacts? Is the main character, a father, a bad person for needing that control?

The Review

Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare was a masterful narrative that deals with the universal fears all parents face, wrapped up in a dystopian techno thriller. The story is told in segments as the father is being interviewed by a police officer. Through the father’s storytelling, we see a man consumed by work and a father distanced by the technology he believes should actually bring him closer. Through this character’s words, we also learn about a son. The son. If you think We Need To Talk About Kevin, you would not be far off. Barb delicately explores the heavy topics of parental alienation and school violence, creating a poignant and terrifying story.

I really enjoyed this novelette. I read it all in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down. Barb created a frightening believable future, decked out in technology that seems just around the corner. I could picture every scene of Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare and it’s going to live rent-free in my head for the foreseeable future.

So yes, I would absolutely recommend this novelette to you, my dear reader. Especially if you’re a fan of the Black Mirror series!

If you end up reading it, let me know what you think! And don’t forget to check back on Thursday for the interview with Patrick Barb himself.

10/10

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