Nick Cato's Blog, page 23

One Dark Scribe

THE NOCTUARY by Greg Chapman (2011 Damnation Books / 56 pp / tp)


Chapman's latest novella is a sort-of homage to Clive Barker, but unlike other "homages" this one has its own voice and style.


Struggling writer Simon Ryan falls into the hands of creatures who are the incarnations of dark muse: they offer him a chance to re-write his abusive life story, but things don't turn out the way Simon had intended.


And just when Simon thinks he'll forever be a scribe for the underworld, a former captive of these creatures helps him escape...although his new-found reality could be darker than ever before.


THE NOCTUARY blends supernatural and real-life horrors quite well.  Kudos to Chapman for dealing with a side-plot of child abuse in a non-exploitative (but still chilling) manner.

Four Fun Novellas

MAL CONTENTS (v/a) (2011 Grand Mal Press / 189 pp / tp)


This collection of four novellas begins with Randy Chandler's HOWLER, about a hairy girl (nick-named Wolf Girl) who leaves a brothel to work as a circus side-show freak.  She becomes close with a pair of Jewish performers until a gang of redneck Nazis attack, all the while being mentally tormented by a strange, squid-like creature.  It's a violent, heart-breaking tale that gets things off to a great start.


Next up is THE MUSHROOMS by Gregory L. Norris, where TV cooking show host Sunny Weir is assaulted by a would-be chef who failed to make it onto a competition program.  When Sunny goes to an isolated house to relax and heal from her injuries, her assailant takes revenge in a supernatural way.  Norris gets the chills going and (amazingly) manages to make a mushroom-creature anything but campy.


My favorite of the bunch is Ryan C. Thomas' CHOOSE, about a computer store owner who is almost killed when someone enters his store and puts a gun to his temple, claiming he has made his life a living hell.  But instead of shooting, the mysterious gunmen gives him a choice: by midnight this night, he must shoot and kill either his wife or teenage daughter, or he'll kill all three of them.  A cop sent to protect the family is quickly dispatched, and despite hiding in another town there seems to be no escape from this otherwordly psycho.  Thomas' tale is tight, full of nail-biting suspense and is one of the darker short stories I've read this year.


Ending things is David T. Wilbanks' THE OUTSIDER TRIO.  After two years, a man returns to proclaim his love for his girlfriend only to find she has been missing for six months.  Malcom learns Violet (a professional violinist) has been kidnapped by some kind of cult-like musician, and with the help of an occult practicioner, manages to track her down, being held prisoner in another dimension.  TRIO features some dark humor and all kinds of weird monsters, making for a fun way to wrap up a satisfying collection.

Those Scary Trees...

DEVIL TREE by Steve Vernon (2011 Macabre Ink Digital / 289 pp / eBook)


Former preacher Lucas Sawyer and his wife Tamsen are seeking a new life, heading south down the Greensnake River.  They nearly drown when their raft capsizes, but are rescued by a burly man named Jonah Duvall, who takes them back to his home in an isolated valley.  Duvall's wife Jezebel helps nurse them back to health as their son looks on, and before long Lucas is helping Duvall with the daily chores. And in time Lucas and Tamsen will discover a strange, gigantic tree that sits in the middle of the woods, a tree that seems to be in control of Duvall.  A tree that is beginning to call to each of them...


In Vernon's 19th-century-set horror tale, isolation and the impossibility of escape--coupled with supernatural elements--enhance the chills with each page that goes by.  While the plot may seem a bit familiar, Vernon's natural talent for infusing believablitiy into each of his characters helps give things a fresh feel.


Vernon is well known for his ability to blend horror and humor (his 2004 novella LONG HORN, BIG SHAGGY being one of my all-time favorites), but here he paints a pitch-black serious tale that'll make you increasingly apprehensive.  With Cronenberg-esque body terror, a Wendigo-type sub plot, and a wicked tree that would give the vegetation in the original EVIL DEAD a run for its money, DEVIL TREE is a best bet for horror fans tired of not being scared by horror fiction.


This one delivers the goods.

Rise and Fall of a Porn King...

BENEATH CONTEMPT AND HAPPY TO BE THERE: THE FIGHTING LIFE OF PORN KING AL GOLDSTEIN by Jack Stevenson (2011 Headpress / 218 pp / tp)
I think I was fourteen when I came across an issue of a newspaper called SCREW.  While most fourteen year old boys would be happy to find a piece of pornography, this paper was just utterly…disgusting!  You could almost feel the herpes dripping off the pages, which consisted more of sex-related articles and ads for call girls and night clubs than it had dirty pictures.  In other words, this was bottom-of-the-barrel sleaze.  Over the years I had heard of the exploits of this paper's founder, Al Goldstein, but never paid him (or his paper) much attention.  Aside from his life-long career as a porn publisher, he has showed up in some non-porn films (including the 4th TOXIC AVENGER movie) and is viewed by many as a champion of 1st amendment rights.  To others, he's considered the filthiest man who has ever lived.  And after reading BENEATH CONTEMPT, I've come to see him as both.
Stevenson gives a brief history of Goldstein's Jewish upbringing in Brooklyn, and it was clear from an early age he was more interested in what lay across the river in Manhattan than in the teachings of his local synagogue.  Before becoming the infamous porn publisher he'd be known for, Goldstein served for a brief time in the U.S. army as a photographer, attended Pace University on a G.I. bill then worked as a photographer for the Daily Mirror.  He even won a writing contest held by Escapade magazine before taking on photo jobs in Cuba and traveling to Russia before getting a job as a writer for pulp-magazine legend Myron Fass.
Much of BENEATH CONTEMPT then deals with Goldstein's creation of SCREW, a local New York sex paper that ran from 1968-to the early 2000s (his former employees restarted it in 2005).  Goldstein eventually became a millionaire, an amazing feat considering SCREW was mainly sold in Manhattan and major cities: he would appear in court several times for sending the paper to some middle-America states on the charge of "distributing obscene material."  His court cases have become legendary (during one of his divorce trials, he wore a t-shirt that said "Death Before Marriage"), and his language and actions toward the judges were anything but civil.  His anarchy-esque lifestyle made most rock stars jealous, and his sex hi-jinks (despite his unattractive mug and overweight body) dumbfounded all who knew him.


While it's hard to like someone like Goldstein, you can't help but admire the "living large" lifestyle the success of SCREW magazine brought him, from mansions in Florida to the most expensive of jewelry, Al had it and ran with it.  Of course, someone who spent money like this and had as many enemies was destined to fall, and fall he did.  Between 2003 and 2004, Al became bankrupt and homeless, sleeping in shelters and 24-hour Starbucks coffee shops.  Friends would throw him money and feed him, and he took jobs you'd never think a former millionaire would (from working in a deli to being a greeter at a mid-town cigar shop).  If nothing else, Al Goldstein held an old-school, hard working ethic that had paid off and also helped him to overcome his financial ruin.
Stevenson also portrays Goldstein as a man who continued to use 60s/70s business tactics despite the modern Internet age.  He was a smut peddler stuck in time, a vile, vulgar, offensive sex addict who—despite being married five times—claimed true love didn't exist.  His two-faced relationship with fellow pornographer/1st amendment champion Larry Flynt as well as 70s porn queen Linda Lovelace provides some of the book's best stories.
BENEATH CONTEMPT will make you both admire and loathe a man who lived the American dream despite what anyone had to say about his methods of doing so.  You may love or hate him, but the importance of his place in New York's underground, barrier-breaking history can't be denied.
Stevenson, an accomplished author of several books dealing with cult film authors and genres, provides plenty of info. for those interested in learning more about this filthy American menace…



Al Goldstein at his infamously cluttered desk

Those SLEAZY Paperbacks!

HIP POCKET SLEAZE: THE LURID WORLD OF VINTAGE ADULT PAPERBACKS by John Harrison (2011 Headpress / 392 pp / tp)


While not exhaustive, Harrison's look at trashy paperbacks from the 50s-70s is quite impressive.  His introduction tells of his growing up in an area of Australia that was comparable to New York City's Times Square of yesteryear, complete with a second hand bookstore packed with rare goodies.


In his short history of paperbacks, Harrison explains how paperback novels were looked down upon (thanks to the usual, lurid subject matter) and explains how the film noir genre helped with their popularity.  .After giving a brief history of adult paperbacks, we get some amazing interviews with several legendary pulp authors, including Ann Bannon and Jim Harmon (there's even reviews of a few books penned by infamous film director Ed Wood, Jr.).


Perhaps the biggest draw to these vintage books were their eye-catching cover art.  Harrison takes a look at three of the masters (Gene Bilbrew, Eric Stanton, andBill Ward) then gives an interesting interview with Dede Aday MacDonald, daughter of Sanford Aday, who had spent much of his life publishing and distributing obscure paperbacks (and often being arrested for his efforts).


Before delving into the world of 70s paperbacks, Harrison gives some great reviews of several vintage adult titles, a few of which I've already sought out and ordered.


As a child of the 70s, I was completely fascinated with the section titled "When Softcore Hardened & the Sleaze Became Sick," which features interviews with editors and publishers who began to release some of the most explicit novels ever to see print (at the time).  Incest, beastiality, and satanism were common themes.  Some memorable titles included 'The Molester Stepmother,' 'Satan's Chicks,' and 'Human-Animal Sex,' which was one of several animal-themed books able to get away with obscenity charges by being released as a medical text.  Who says loop holes haven't existed forever?


While the main focus of the book is adult titles, other genres (horror, crime, Nazis, science fiction) are examined.  One horror novel that actually sounds quite good is titled 'Crocodile,' written by Carl Ruhen in 1981 for Horwitz Books.  The synopsis given sounds more disturbing than a dozen SyFy channel giant monster flicks combined.  There's also a section featuring several horror movie tie-in novels, including Dawn of the Dead, Squirm, Inseminoid, and, most shockingly, the seldom-seen UK comedy Queen Kong (!), which was made to cash in on the success of the 1976 remake of King Kong.  As the author states:


"The discovery of this paperback in my used bookstore has convinced me that any film may have its own tie-in novel sitting out there hidden on some musty old shelf, waiting to be rediscovered."  -pp. 231
Harrison then gives us a tour of witchcraft and Charles Manson-themed paperbacks, before coming to one of my favorite sections of the book.  Among the Miscellaneous, Offbeat, and Esoteric titles, the cover of one book actually made my stomach drop (hence why it's probably featured on the cover):

Author Robert Buchard's 1970 'Thirty Seconds Over New York' deals with an anti-American Red Chinese colonel who orchestrates a nuclear attack over Manhattan.  There's no need to get into the shocking, almost premonition-like nature of the cover.


The only uneven section is titled 'Classic Smut Film Rags,' which takes up over thirty pages.  While the author feels these porn-film review magazines "share the same dirty bed as adult paperbacks from this era," I found the inclusion put the book at a brief pause.


HIP POCKET SLEAZE concludes by interviewing two major adult paperback collectors, and offers a priceless appendix that's packed with resources for serious collectors.


Props given to Mr. Harrison for this huge undertaking, highlighted by Headpress' always beautiful page layouts and rare book cover art.  Any book lover will eat this one up in no time.

A FANTASTIC Debut...

IDOLS AND CONS by S.S. Michaels (2011 / 254 pp / eBook)


John is a drug-dealing (and taking) punk living in a seedy section of Los Angeles, sketching and playing his guitar.  His neighborhood has been overrun with yuppies and celebrities looking to be hip.  John's also a voyuer, and Damien--the singer for a popular boy band--lives right across the street.  John's used to watching Damien bring home groupies for sex romps, but one day things go a little overboard and the singer accidentally kills a teenage girl.  He wraps her in a carpet and throws her in a dumpster--and makes eye contact with the peeping John as he does so.


While furhter spying the neighborhood, John witnesses his artist-neighbor Patrick walking into his apartment with the carpet/body.  He unwisely decides to go over there and confront him, only to find himself stuck in a world of murder and a growing art project that's beyond gruesome.


But Patrick is the least of John's problems: when John's kidnapped by two thugs, he winds up in the presence of Damien, whose manager had suggested they kill John for his knowledge before he rats and destroys the pop star's career.  But Damien can't bear to kill his friend (and drug supplier), so he manages to make John a part of In Dreams, his huge boy band.  John accepts (having no other choice), and before long takes to his new role, becoming the most popular member of the band while simultaneously becoming part of a huge art show.


S.S. Michaels' debut novel is nearly impossible to put down.  She blends the seedy L.A. underground drug and art world with pop music fame, adds a crime element, and makes us cheer-on her rags-to-riches character despite his low-life personality.  And best of all, IDOLS AND CONS is heavy on the suspense and has just the right amount of humor thrown in.


With its message of how far some will go for fame (and the ways people deal with it), the novel is as cautionary as it is entertaining.  One of the finest debuts I've read in a long time...

Trying to Make CASH off of CLASH

The 40th installment of my SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES column takes a look at WAR OF THE WIZARDS, a hokey martial arts film re-packaged in an attempt to cash in on CLASH OF THE TITANS' success!
CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT (War of the Wizards)

A Re-Discovered Classic

DEVILS' DRUMS by Vivian Meik (2011 Medusa Press / 214 pp / limited edition hc)


Continuing to find and re-release seldom-heard horror authors of old, Medusa Press delivers yet another fine collection from a fascinating writer.


After an informative introduction (Meik truly lived an amazing life), the original ten stories that made up DEVIL'S DRUMS in 1933 are presented, followed by three more tales (one actually a non-fiction piece).  Meik spent several years in Africa, his love and admiration for the country and culture showing in each tale.


The first two stories, 'Devil's Drums' and 'White Zombie' introduce us to African voodoo, complete with witch doctors, slave-zombies, and plenty of eerie atmosphere.  'An Acre in Hell' is one of the better moments here, dealing with the ultimate in voodoo evil and human sacrifice.  'The Doll of Death' is a spooky little yarn that was even turned into a short film forty years later when it appeared on one of the last episodes of 'Rod Serling's Night Gallery' in 1973.


'White Man's Law' shows what happens when the west intervenes where it shouldn't, and acts as a catalyst for the stories to follow (Mein uses most of the same characters in this collection, making the shorts seem almost like a single, long story).  'L'Amitie Reste' brings Meik favorites Geoffrey Aylett (an action commissioner) and Padre Vaneken (a Catholic missionary) closer together, this time in one of several tales that uses letters to unravel the happenings.


'The Man Who Sold His Shadow' is easily the best of the bunch, an eerie, heart-breaking account of a recently married white couple and their dealings with a local witch doctor.  It's the best example of Meik's horror writing, mixing a compelling supernatural plot with social intrigue.  'R.A.' finds our heroes Aylett and Padre Vaneken trying to get to the bottom of a series of gruesome murders along the local villages that leads them to a mysterious old woman and a legendary snake god.  'A Honeymoon in Hate' takes another look at a young couple and their life in Africa, complete with a surprise, brutal (for its time) ending.


The collection isn't called DEVILS' DRUMS for no reason: voodoo drum beats reverbeat throughout each tale, bringing a sense of dread whenever they appear.  'Domiria's Drum' ends the original ten-stories of the collection, once again taking a look at yet another cursed couple.


'The Two Old Women' (the first of three extra stories included in this edition) features not only characters from Meik's African horror tales, but also Meik himself.  This time the voodoo has come to London.  I'm assuming 'Chiromo' is the non-fiction piece mentioned in Douglas A. Anderson's introduction, as it starts off like a memoir then turns into a bizarre ghost story.  'I Leave it to You' ends the collection and is told from the Padre's point of view, and deals with a strange woman who may or may not be what she seems.


I found Meik's writing to be filler-free and to the point.  Perhaps he used the word "horror" a bit too often, but otherwise he was gifted at building dread and atmosphere while crafting likeable characters in a minimalist manner.  Medusa Press has also (once again) created an absolutely beautiful book here, one that any serious fan of horror fiction history will want on their book shelf.

A Newly Discovered Crackpot Masterpiece!

Leave it up to the lunatics at SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO to find this lost gangster comedy and release it to the masses.  This previously unreleased film stars the legendary JANE RUSSELL, who appears here in her last FILM role before doing a couple of TV shows in the mid 80s.  Godfather Johnny Stiletto is played by Peter Savage, who went on to smaller roles in Martin Scorcese's TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL.  But the fun here comes from Stiletto's six mob goons who are played by former boxing champions (Jake La Motta, Rocky Graziano, Willie Pep, Paddy Demarco, Tony Zale, and Petey Scalzio) who provide most of the films' bumbling antics, at times in BENNY HILL-style speed-ups.  An opening fight scene between Stiletto's boys and another gang features Loony Tunes-type sound effects, creating a hilarious, old-fashioned slapstick brawl that had me in stitches.  There are a few times during the film silly cartoon-sounds are used in place of people's words, one time nearly causing me to fall off the couch in hysterics.


THE GODFATHER AND THE LADY (co-titled 6 CHAMPIONS GO WILD) centers around the Godfather's daughter, Paulette.  The Don can't keep her boyfriend Armand off of her, and he discovers she's pregnant.  Although he wants to whack Armand, his daughter convinces him not to...and the boyfriend promises to marry her.  But first Armand must get the approval of his guardian, his aunt Nira (Jane Russell), a snobby dame who hates gangsters and doesn't take to Stiletto's cigar smoking.


In the messy story that follows, Aunt Nira (now broke despite her spacious home) will only give her blessing to the wedding if Stiletto can convince her rich uncle to change his will to leave her his money.  The film pretty much goes all over the place from this point, but I was still laughing over the opening cartoon-ish fight sequence to care.


As Stiletto tries to work the rich uncle, he makes his goons watch his daughter.  Despite the fact she's already knocked up, he doesn't want Armand touching her anymore until the wedding.  A hilarious "baby-sitting" scene goes down where two of the boys show up with their much-younger dates and begin making out and dancing while Paulette and Armand sneak into her bedroom to do the nasty.  Thinking Armand has gone home early and Paulette sleeping, the boys head back to their hangout where the Godfather is still attempting to con the rich Uncle by using sexy dancing girls to entice him.  Up until this point I had no idea gangsters (even in the 70s) danced this much.


And considering the music, hair styles and clothing, I'm willing to bet this "1975" film was shot at least five or six years earlier as it has a true 60s vibe going throughout.


Star Peter Savage directed this celluloid abomination under his real name, Peter Petrella, and there's actually a co-director credited during the film's opening sequence.


THE GODFATHER AND THE LADY is a real gem...a true "so bad it's good" that the folks at Something Weird Video have an uncanny knack for discovering.  I can't wait to show this to my old man as he's a huge boxing fan (one has to wonder just how bored these retired champions had to be to act in such a goofy flick), and despite her age, Jane Russell looks pretty good here.


With a few symbolic/surreal dream sequences, atrocious acting, a horrendous soundtrack and some of the ugliest suits ever to grace a gangster flick, this is a best-bet for your next drunken movie night.


 Mob goon after getting cracked in the face during the opening brawl...
 The Godfather goes after his daughter's boyfriend
 Jane Russell makes the gas face when the Don lights-up his stogie
 Who knew old goons got such hot chicks?
 Party time at the gang's hang out
 Russell listens as the Godfather plans to manipulate her rich Uncle's will...
 Why would gangsters want a spacious limo when they could squeeze into a cool Mustang?
 After being double-crossed, the Godfather bows to Russell (OOPS--spoiler alert!)
 The Don and his goons
 Paulette and Armand in one of the Godfather's dream sequences...
 Gangster go-go girls!
 Former world champ Rocky Graziano living it up outside the ring!
 The Godfather lights a stogie after shagging Russell...
SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO's DVD-R cover for the film, which can be ordered here:
THE GODFATHER AND THE LADY (DVD-R)
(Note: the film can also be downloaded here):
GODFATHER/LADY DOWNLOAD

Ughhhh...

THE YEARS OF MAGIC by J. Lyndon Hickman (2011 / 234 pp / tp)


Set in 1934, Hickman's debut novel deals with what might have happened in the spirit world if electricity ceased to exist at that time.  His two protagonists (a gentleman named David Rancliff and his new friend Winston Thomas Guildersleeves--who turns out to be David's guardian angel) are likeable enough, but after setting up its quirky premise,THE YEARS OF MAGIC quickly looses logic and steam and its base intention seems all but forgotten.


When the world's electricity supply is taken away, the small town of Gallatin becomes host to a group of vampires who build an army through a huge, fancy, corrupt church.  David and Winston also encounter werewolves, zombies, ghosts, and just about anything else the author could think to throw in.  Apparently the absence of global electricity has caused these legendary monsters to come forth as MAGIC's story becomes an uneven, unintentionally funny tale that bounces all over the place and is further marred by some of the worst dialogue I've read in years.


This is a fine example of a self-published title that could've used a seriously professional edit.  I have no idea how I made it to the end.