Nick Cato's Blog, page 3

2018 book releases / short story appearances / magazine appearances

We're just one month away from the release of the C.H.U.D. LIVES! anthology, which features stories taking place before, during, and after the events of the 1984 cult monster movie C.H.U.D. I still can't believe this baby exists, but am thrilled to be a part of it with my punk rock horror tale "The Dwellers." Check out the official press release:

Coming April 27 from Crystal Lake Publishing,  C.H.U.D. Lives!  is a tribute anthology of original C.H.U.D. fiction from some of today’s top horror and sci-fi writers.“The stories in this anthology expand the world created by the film and add depth to the C.H.U.D. universe like never before. From stories of apocalyptic horror and all out monster action, to tales of underground parties interrupted by uninvited guests and evening strolls that end in death, this anthology will leave you both smiling and breathless. Relive the fear as these original stories take you beyond the movie to events that occurred before, during, and after the scenes we remember so well.”“C.H.U.D. Lives!, with an introduction by David Drake and compiled by Eric S. Brown, also features in-depth interviews with the movie’s producer, Andrew Bonime, its screenwriter, Parnell Hall, and never before seen behind-the-scenes photos from the classic 80s horror film.”Here’s the full lineup:Interview with the late Andrew Bonime“Dog Walker” by Robert E Waters“The Dwellers” by Nick Cato“The City Will Eat You Alive” by Ryan C. Thomas“Date Night” by David Robbins“Strange Gods” by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes“Lost and Found” by Greg Mitchell“They Are C.H.U.D” by Alex Laybourne“C.H.A.D.” by Michael H. Hanson“Samsa’s Party” by Ben Fisher“The Way to a Man’s Heart” by Tim Waggoner“Dweller Messiah” by Jason White“That’s Entertainment!” by Mort Castle“Toxic Disposal” by David Bernstein“Monstrous Me” by Martin Powell“Step Ate” by Chad Lutzke“Zero Hour” by JG Faherty“The Deuce” by Philip C. Perron“All at Sea” by Ross Baxter“You Will Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Jonathan Maberry and Eugene JohnsonInterview with Parnell Hall (screenwriter) by Eric S Brown
You can pre-order the eBook here, with trade paperback and audiobook versions available soon: C.H.U.D. LIVES! pre-order
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My novella, CHEW TOYS, will be released in June as part of a 3-novella collection titled THREE A.M. WAKE-UP CALL: THE TERROR PROJECT VOLUME 3. This is (in case you just missed it!) the third novella collection from Books and Books Press and I'm very happy to be part of this fine series. Cover art will be revealed soon, so keep your eyes on the press' official web site: BOOKS AND BOOS PRESS
CHEW TOYS takes place in 1977, two weeks after the infamous Son of Sam was arrested. Notorious labrador Harvey (who allegedly ordered David Berkowitz to kill) is aggravated, so he hops the fence and begins to build an army of possessed serial killers. You've been warned...
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My 4th exploitation novella for Dynatox Ministries, DEATH WITCH, is on the way. It has been receiving some fantastic pre-release reviews, and cover art should be here soon. Check out what some people are saying:
"DEATH WITCH is the kind of book I most enjoy reading -- one that makes me feel like I've witnessed something I wasn't supposed to see, and now I am complicit. Like a cross between I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and PUMPKINHEAD (without the big rubber monster), it's a devilish drive-in cult flick set to prose. Hell, yeah!"

- James Newman, author of ODD MAN OUT, ANIMOSITY, and REVENGE FLICK!


“Nick Cato’s DEATH WITCH serves up exactly what the perfectly clever title promises—a grindhouse-style mashup of revenge exploitation and Giallo-inspired occult horror. This book is sure to please fans of Mario Bava and Brian Garfield. Just TRY not to imagine Barbara Steele starring in this. I dare you!”
- Bracken MacLeod, Bram Stoker Award nominated author of STRANDED and COME TO DUST.


"Nick Cato's love of exploitation cinema runs through all of his fiction, and here he offers a suitably mean and nasty take on the revenge genre. An over-the-top, gripping, and unsavory read." - Jeff Strand, author of BLISTER.


"The straight-forward, no-frills writing style turns DEATH WITCH into a lean and mean book easily consumed in a single sitting. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine it playing on old 42nd Street in New York."
- Evan Romero, pophorror.com

Check the publisher's site as more info unfolds: DYNATOX MINISTRIES
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In October, BIZARRO PULP PRESS will be publishing my short story collection, THE SATANIC RITES OF SASQUATCH and other weird stories. The book features 14 tales, 5 appearing here for the first time. More news soon...~~~~~~~~~~~
The first issue of the revamped DEEP RED magazine is almost here. This huge, 100-paged, square bound edition will be fetching crazy moolah on the second hand market, so secure your copy today while still at a sane price right here: DEEP RED
I'm absolutely thrilled to have a column in this magazine, which I pretty much lived for during its short but influential run in the 1980s. Most of the original staff is back, along with a bunch of us "new" whippersnappers. My column will focus on the NYC midnight movie scene, which has re-exploded since around 2010. This promises to be an absolutely gore-geous addition to any horror fan's collection.
~~~~~~~~~~~My story, IL CINEMA DE LUCIFERO, will be published on this blog in a monthly serial format starting on April 7th...

Writing Updates / New Serial to begin...

At long last, the relaunch of DEEP RED magazine will be available March 30, 2018! Secure your over-sized issue right here: DEEP RED vol.4 no.1, which features a boatload of articles by members of the classic staff as well as a lot of "newbies" like yours truly. This will be a must have for any lover of classic horror film zines...
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My novel LOVERS is nearing completion, and a bizarro project titled DUKE TORBELLI'S HYDRAULIC CATECHISM is in full swing. More info on that next time. Also, recently finished my first short story of 2018 titled 'The Last Delivery of Sal Carrosi,' which will be getting a second round of edits soon.
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My book DAMAGED BRAINS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S 'NIGHTMARE' is coming along nicely, and has a growing contributors list.
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In an attempt to stir interest in writer's blogs (which seem to have died down over the past couple of years), I'll be starting a monthly serial in March titled:

IL CINEMA DE LUCIFERO follows a young collector named Gary as he roams the seediest parts of the Internet (and his city) on a non-stop quest to find the most intense films he can get his grubby little hands on. But Gary will be drawn into an underworld even his own jaded mind can't accept, but will have to for his survival and own sanity.
I'll be posting chapter one sometime in late March, and am asking any interested authors to swap blog links with me (I'll gladly add you to my blog list on the right hand side of this page).
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Also: waiting on word about my second short story collection, and hoping to FINALLY make a big announcement on my first major non fiction film book.

DEEP RED Lives Again...

In the 1980s, writer and all around horror guy Chas. Balun published an amazing magazine titled DEEP RED (see below for cover of the first issue). For those of us into horror magazines such as FAMOUS MONSTERS and FANGORIA, it was a welcome addition, especially in light of Balun's always enthusiastic attitude toward the horror genre.
YEARS after both the magazine's demise and Balun's passing away, editor John Szpunar along with Fantaco has managed to get most of the old DEEP RED staff together, along with a bunch of newbies (me being one of them) to relaunch DEEP RED (cover above). This first revamped issue will be a huge, 100 paged book-bound event any horror fan will want in their collection. Check out the kickstarter page HERE for several purdy formats it will be available in.
My first column deals with the past and present NYC midnight movie scene, and check out the above link for the rest of the Table of Contents. MAKE UNCLE CHAS. PROUD!
The first issue of the original run of DEEP RED from 1987

My 82nd SGM column now LIVE...

In the 82nd edition of my SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES column, I look back at a double feature of Chuck Norris films. Check it out at CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT / A DOUBLE DOSE OF CHUCK!

Two New Stories Now Available / Writing Updates

My story "The Small Intestines of Lower Manhattan (or, How Reverend Harold's Laundromat was almost Accused of Blasphemy)" is now available in the anthology MORE BIZARRO THAN BIZARRO. Just click the cover image on the right hand side of this blog page to order or see more info.
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My story "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR" is now available in the anthology THE FORSAKEN. Just click the cover image to the right hand side of this blog page to order or see more info.
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C.H.U.D. LIVES Update:

Originally slated for fall 2017, C.H.U.D. LIVES has been pushed back to January, 2018. The anthology, a tribute to the 1984 monster movie, features my story "THE DWELLERS." More info coming soon.
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Writing Updates:


-My novel LOVERS is nearing completion, but it has taken a back seat to my second film book, which has been snowballing since I began it in August 2017.Said film book, tentatively titled DAMAGED BRAINS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S NIGHTMARE has already gained interest from fans and one publisher. I've contacted a few people who starred in the film (who weren't interviewed on any dvd or bluray extras) so this should be an informative read, not just a glowing fan boy retrospect.
-My first, forthcoming film book, SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE, should see an announcement soon from the publisher.
-I'm also currently 5 chapters into a collaborative bizarro novel with one of my favorite writers. More news soon...

Writing Updates

My story LOVE THY NEIGHBOR is included in this new anthology dealing with why certain places have been abandoned. There are lots of great writers in this Cemetery Dance Publications release, which is now available in eBook here: THE FORSAKEN. 
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The full table of contents for the forthcoming anthology MORE BIZARRO THAN BIZARRO has been posted here: Bizarro Pulp Press. My story THE SMALL INTESTINES OF LOWER MANHATTAN (or, HOW REVEREND HAROLD'S LAUNDROMAT WAS ALMOST ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY) is among what promises to be one incredible strange collection.
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My novella CHEW TOYS has recently been submitted to a forthcoming novella trilogy. More news soon.
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LOVERS, my second novel, has been in the works for over a year but the end is finally in sight! Looking forward to finishing it up before summer's end.
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SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE, my debut non fiction film book, is still with the (soon to be named) publisher and I'm hoping a late 2018 release. More news soon.
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I have started work on my second film book, which will be a look at Romano Scavolini's controversial 1981 film 'Nightmare' (aka 'Nightmares in a Damaged Brain'). Below is a mock cover design that faces me as I write...

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And of course, check out some of my books HERE. Thanks!

C.H.U.D. LIVES! cover reveal

The fine folks over at Crystal Lake Publishing will be unleashing a new anthology this coming November of 2017 titled C.H.U.D. LIVES!, which features my story 'The Dwellers' among other tales that take place before, during, and after the events of the classic 1984 monster movie. My story takes place two weeks before the film, and I'm looking forward to reading what everyone else came up with. Above is the recently released cover art.


From Crystal Lake Publishing's FB page:
C.H.U.D. LIVES! Contents:
Introduction by David Drake
Interview with producer Andrew Bonime (who unfortunately passed away before he could read the contributions. He would've loved this)
JG Faherty
Martin Powell
Ben Fisher
Mort Castle
Jason White
Chad Lutzke
Ross Baxter
Philip C Perron
David Bernstein
Nick Cato
Alex Laybourne
Michael H. Hanson
Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes
David Robbins
Robert Waters
Greg Mitchell
Tim Waggoner
Ryan C. Thomas
Jonathan Maberry and Eugene Johnson
An interview with screenwriter Parnell Hall


For more info check the publisher's website at CRYSTAL LAKE PUBLISHING

My 80th column now live at CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT

Check out the 80th installment of my SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES column over at CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT right here: CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT: Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)

Writing Updates

BUSY BUSY BUSY! It's always good to be busy. On my writing front:

- Closing in on the ending to my second novel LOVERS, which is the heartwarming tale of an Emergency Medical Technician who becomes fascinated with a young woman who dies while in his care...
- Have started a top secret bizarro novel with a co-author (who shall not be named as of yet). We're intending to aim for the fence with this one.
- 2017 will see the release of my 4th exploitation novella from Dynatox Ministries. I have so far dealt with Nunsploitation, Cannibalsploitation, and Blaxsploitation, and now throw my hat into the rape/revenge subgenre. DEATH WITCH is basically DEATH WISH meets THE CRAFT on the set of MS. 45. Had a blast writing this and it will first be released as a limited edition, then as an unlimited trade paperback with a different cover. More news soon...


- I have three (count 'em) short stories coming out in new anthologies this year, the first titled THE DWELLERS in what promises to be a fun book full of stories written in tribute to the 1984 cult classic C.H.U.D. The second (brace yourself here) is titled THE SMALL INTESTINES OF LOWER MANHATTAN (OR, HOW THE REVEREND HAROLD'S LAUNDROMAT WAS ALMOST ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY) and will be featured in Bizarro Pulp Press' latest antho MORE BIZARRO THAN BIZARRO, and finally, I'm thrilled to be included in an antho to be released through Cemetery Dance. My tale, LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, looks at why an abandoned ice cream truck has become haunted.
- My first non fiction film book SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE (a collection of my columns from Cinema Knife Fight along with some all new interviews) is rolling along. Hope to post an official announcement from the publisher soon.


- My return to the fanzine world, THE MIDNIGHT GRIND, didn't sell as well as we hoped (and by WE I mean myself and the several writers who contributed to the debut issue). We had fun and tested the waters, but a second issue is doubtful at this point. You can still get the debut issue via paypal. Email NickYak@aol.com for details.

2016: Retro Screenings

I'm fortunate enough to live near several theaters that often feature retro screenings, and more often than not, the screenings are from actual film prints. Here are the 12 I saw in 2016:


-THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999). Screened in 35mm at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in February, it's the first time I sat through the film in its entirety since seeing it in 1999. I still think the documentary CURSE OF THE BLAIR WITCH is better, but I did enjoy the main film after all these years, and for some reason didn't get dizzy this time.


-MESSIAH OF EVIL (1973). Screened in 35mm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. Such a great, underrated film with latent Lovecraftian undertones. I missed its early 80s re-release as DEAD PEOPLE so was happy to finally catch it on the big screen. As a bonus, legendary Times Square film distributor Terry Levene stopped by for an informative q&a session.



-DERANGED (1974) Screened in 35mm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. It was a cut print as the infamous "skull/brain scoop" scene was missing, but the wonderfully scratchy celluloid was still a treat, and with this audience, some parts I never found funny became hilarious.


-GINGER SNAPS (2000) Screened in 35mm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. It was my first time seeing this highly praised werewolf film and I loved it. No idea how I've been missing it all these years.


-I DRINK YOUR BLOOD (1970) Screened digitally from a 4K restoration at the Landmark Sunshine in NYC. Maybe I'm getting old but I didn't see the difference between this version and the DVD edition Fangoria had released several years ago, but it was still nice to see this splatter classic on the Sunshine's big screen.


-HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) Screened digitally from a 4K restoration at the Landmark Sunshine in NYC. This "30th Anniversary Screening" looked and sounded great, but those of us who attended the second night were promised an appearance by the director, yet he bailed and claimed he had only agreed to a q&a the first night (although his own Facebook page said otherwise). Still a great film but a shitty move by the director.


-LOVE ME DEADLY (1972) Screened digitally at the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn. Everything about this film is just so insane you have to love it, even in this tiny 35-seat theater with only 6 of us in attendance. Years before Germany assaulted the world with NEKROMANTIK, this American necrophilia epic, while nowhere near as graphic, is three times as crazy on several levels.


-HAWK JONES (1986) Screened from VHS at the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn. Who would've thought an 80s kid's video would make a great midnight movie? Hawk Jones is basically a kiddie blaxploitation film, full of laughs and countless unintentionally inappropriate situations.


-CAGED HEAT (1974) Screened in 35mm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. Director Jonathan Demme's debut feature isn't as graphic as the flood of women in prison films to come, but it's one of the best. Demme even dropped by for a q&a session.


-FASCINATION (1979) Screened digitally at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. I was thrilled to finally see a Jean Rollin film in a theater, and star Brigitte LaHaie looked even more beautiful on the big screen. A fantastic take on the vampire mythos, with blood addicted socialites dealing with criminals who invade their secluded mansion. It's as classy as it sounds...


-CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) Screened in 35mm at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. With Eli Roth's THE GREEN INFERNO still fresh in everyone's minds, we were all blown away while revisiting CANNIBAL FEROX: it seems Roth not only paid homage to third world cannibal films, but completely ripped this one off! A gut-munching good time.



-BLOOD FEAST (1963) In 35mm at both the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn and The International House in Philadelphia. I had the absolute privilege of seeing the world's first gore film twice this year, first at an HG Lewis marathon in Philly (unfortunately I couldn't stay for the other 4 films that screened, but I met Lewis for the second time, and just a short while before he passed away), and again at the Nitehawk in Brooklyn. 70 minutes of pure, genre-changing mayhem that never gets old...