Nick Cato's Blog, page 6

UPDATES...

Hopefully the anthology I'm editing, THE GRUESOME TENSOME: A SHORT STORY TRIBUTE TO THE FILMS OF HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS, will be released sometime in early fall. All the tales have been edited, contracts are being sent to the writers, cover art (see below) by Matthew Revert is all done, just waiting on the final funding for the interiors. This will most likely be the final release from my small press, Novello Publishers. More news to follow...



Over the past few months, I've seen a LOT of great films in 35mm at midnight screenings around the NYC area. A full report is forthcoming...

My "blaxploitation" novella, URBAN DEATH SQUAD, is being proofread and cover art will be in soon. This loving tribute to 70s soul cinema is a real labor of love, and I've been having a blast writing and editing it. To be published by Dynatox Ministries, one of the best small specialty presses around.

CHANNEL 79, a bizarro novella I've been working on for a little over a year, is just about finished. Been thinking of changing the name back to its original title, THE SMALL INTESTINES OF LOWER MANHATTAN, despite it taking place mainly midtown. We'll see when the edits are complete. The story is a rant against the self-help movement with some wickedly offbeat outcomes...

Will be spending most of the summer working on my second full length novel, tentatively titled THE DEVELOPMENT. It's about teens living in a small NJ community who are affected by an isolated pond in the nearby woods. I'm six chapters in and ideas are continually changing. Looking forward to creating a truly unusual horror novel (and will be taking advantage of my 4-week vacation from the day job to bang much of it out).

Still tinkering with a tale I nearly finished a while ago titled CHEW TOYS. I'll decide how to finish it once the second novel is done. Still not sure if I want to keep it novella length or (I guess you'd say) short novel length. Like the aforementioned THE DEVELOPMENT, CHEW TOYS has plenty of possibilities, and I may have to write all the extra material to see if it works better as a short novel or even full length novel. Some of my older readers may recall me mentioning a novella about Harvey, the dog who allegedly told the Son of Sam to kill. This is the one about him creating an army of serial killers...

Have a fun and safe summer!

The Mystery of The Babadook

 "I've never seen a more terrifying film. It will scare the hell out of you as it did me."-William Friedkin, director of THE EXORCIST

When THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was released in 1999, next to the positive word of mouth on the film festival circuit, I believe it was the films' incredible blurbs that helped it become such a draw. Two of the more popular, which were used on the films' theater posters, claimed it was "Scary as Hell" and "The Scariest Film Since The Exorcist." Of course the film turned out to be a "love it or hate it" experience, some claiming it scarred them for life while others blew it off as dizzying amateur nonsense. Ever since the Blair Witch phenomenon, variations of the term "Scariest Film Since The Exorcist" became common on future horror films' posters and press release material. However, when you see a review that says something like this on a direct-to-video release, chances are it isn't as scary as Mary Poppins, let alone The Exorcist. But when you see the actual DIRECTOR of the original 1973 classic THE EXORCIST saying something scared the hell out of him, you take note (and it best be scary). Not only did William Friedkin rave over the film and even introduce it at a special screening, there are those whose opinions I trust who have seen THE BABADOOK (2014) multiple times and swear it's one of the scariest, best horror films in years.
While I do love to read film reviews and commentaries, I do so with a very fine grain of salt, especially after being a horror film fan since 1973 and having been let down numerous times. I have to admit that despite the endless let downs, I had high expectations for THE BABADOOK, an Australian film that won the hearts of horror fans on the film festival circuit and caused countless people to recommend it to me during its midnight run here in New York City. Suffice it to say, I was convinced this had to be a sure-fire hit, something I'd be watching again and again. I finally watched the film one Sunday afternoon this past February, while I was wide awake and pumped up, eager for a solid horror film after so many years of mundane fare.
I won't get into the story here, as by now most people reading this have either seen or at least read about it. Suffice it to say, THE BABADOOK falls into the subgenre of what I like to call "Women-Losing-Their-Shit" films. While many people (myself included) were expecting a supernatural monster film, the "creature" here turns out to be the product of a widowed mother's neurosis. I'm not upset that this was the case; in fact, I was glad this wasn't another simple monster-on-the-loose film.
What I wasn't happy about (and here's what seems to divide the film's fans from its critics) is that I found THE BABADOOK to not only be incredibly, painfully boring, but I didn't find a  single moment  of this film to be scary in the slightest sense. It's true that everything is subjective; what one finds scary, others don't. Some laugh until tears start to flow over Steve Martin's 1979 film THE JERK while others can't stomach a second of it. Some found THE EXORCIST to be the most terrifying experience they've ever had, yet others (particularly those among the non religious) sit through the possession scenes unmoved.

But how could so many people claim they found THE BABADOOK scary? If anything, it's one of the most depressing horror films ever made.
Stranger to me still are the excellent performances by stars Essie Davis as Amelia Vannick and Noah Wiseman, who plays her young son Samuel. Both are believable and put their all into the project. The dynamics in their relationship works well. And while I didn't find the film scary, the setting (mainly a dark home) was primed to deliver serious goosebumps, not to mention the creepy children's pop-up book itself titled "Mister Babadook."

So what went wrong?
Although several have come forward with similar feelings toward the film as myself, I only spoke with one other person after my initial viewing who found THE BABADOOK to be a major let down. My friends who loved it asked if I was sure I was awake and not drunk when I watched it, and I assured them I was fully sober and alert.
So I did what had to be done. I watched THE BABADOOK for a second time a few weeks later, again at an early time to ensure I would give the film my full attention. I had to see if I perhaps had a temporary lapse of judgment or, if my initial thoughts of everyone being the victim of a clever mass delusion, was the case. My verdict? Sitting through THE BABADOOK once was a chore. Sitting through it a second time was nothing short of cinematic torture.
I hate to rag a well made film. I hate even more to rag a well written film. I hate to rag a horror film that's done as seriously as THE BABADOOK. But, even laying subjectivity aside, I just don't know how anyone stayed awake long enough to find any of this scary. Personally I found the whole thing annoying when I wasn't completely bored. While it's true director Jennifer Kent wanted viewers to find young Samuel irritating, I think she went a bit overboard here. The second time I watched I had to mute the TV whenever his screeching erupted. We get it. The brat is driving mom crazy. Enough with the damn screaming! And while Amelia's mental decent might disturb some viewers, I didn't find it even a quarter as disturbing as Isabelle Adjani's role as Anna in the 1981 film POSSESSION, Charlotte Gainsbourg as "She" in 2009's ANTICHRIST, or Catherine Denevue as Carole in Polanski's 1965 classic REPULSION. There are a bunch more films that feature a woman's mental state in decline that not only disturbs but keeps the viewer's interest far more intensely than THE BABADOOK. Some I highly recommend are:

- ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (1972)- MAY (2002)- THE DEVILS (1971)- SISTERS (1973)- ALUCARDA (1975)- THE ENTITY (1982)- LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)- LISA AND THE DEVIL (1973)
  and perhaps most intensely, - THE BROOD (1979)
Maybe I'm spoiled having been a fan of this subgenre for so long. Perhaps for me, THE BABADOOK just didn't stack up to the films cited above. And for those doubting this is an actual subgenre, the "Woman-Loses-Her-Shit" film was wonderfully and thoroughly examined in Kier-La Janisse's fantastic 2012 book, House of Psychotic Women.
I'm going to go one step further. I'm going to watch THE BABADOOK (or at least, attempt to watch it) for a third time before delivering my concluding comments. I need to be absolutely sure I'm not just being that guy, the one who doesn't like what most people are praising. Be back soon.
(NOTE: I sat down to watch THE BABADOOK for a third time five days after I wrote the last paragraph. My concluding comments were written below the day after).
I have now attempted to sit through THE BABADOOK for a third time. Around twenty minutes in I simply couldn't take it anymore. My initial reaction to this Aussie import stands and is now confirmed: You're all victims of a mass delusion. And I'm convinced William Friedkin is insane. :P
Time to revisit POSSESSION (1981) to get this nasty, depressing, boring taste out of my mouth...

My Top 15 Occult Horror Films of the 70s

After the door-opening 1968 film ROSEMARY'S BABY, both Hollywood and independent films went absolutely crazy with devil and occult-themed cinema during the 1970s. Today, thanks in large part to slick collectors edition DVDs and blurays, occult horror has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts as this wicked little subgenre refuses to die.

Over the past three years, I've been part of a project that has watched and written about over 135 occult horror films from the 70s. Below are my 15 favorites, picked from endless hours of film viewing and article editing. These are listed by the year they were released.

EQUINOX (1970). This stop-motion monster-filled low budget romp features an "occult barrier" being opened after an ancient tome is tampered with (basically a pre-cursor to 1982's THE EVIL DEAD). Criterion released an amazing double DVD that any horror fan should have in their collection.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN (1971). I originally saw this on TV as a kid, and it holds up quite well. Effective tale about a small town where the devil worshipers are senior citizens who recruit children to join them. The ending is as disturbing as it is surreal.

THE DEVILS (1971). Ken Russel's controversial epic about a cardinal in 17th century France who is accused of witchcraft and corrupting a convent of nuns. While the "possession" here is handed off as mass hysteria, the film easily falls into the "nunsploitation" category and is unforgettable no matter how you look at it.

LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971). Another film where the line between reality and fantasy is hard to distinguish. Recently released from a mental institution, a woman moves into a reputedly haunted, isolated house and begins to doubt her sanity. Chilling in ways few other films are.

ASYLUM OF SATAN (1972). A woman is held against her will at an asylum. Her doctor uses patients for human sacrifices. This is a "so-bad-it's-good" schlock-fest full of hooded cultists, some genuinely tense moments, and the goofiest devil costume ever seen on film. Classic.

THE WICKER MAN (1973). A police sergeant investigating a missing child on a Scottish isle meets his fate at the hands of local pagans. Not only one of the best occult horror films of all time, but one of the best FILMS of all time. If you've never seen it make sure to see the recently released "Final Cut," which is the version that should have been released from the get go (Christopher Lee's character comes off twice as sinister). Unforgettable.

GANJA & HESS (1973). Instead of taking the money and making a typical "blaxploitation" film, director Bill Gunn created this brilliant art house horror head-scratcher about a man who becomes addicted to blood after being cut by an ancient, germ-infested knife (and no, this is NOT a vampire film). Worthy of multiple viewings, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD's Duane Jones stars alongside genre favorite Marlene Clark in this rare gem of a movie.

MESSIAH OF EVIL (1973). A genuine underrated classic if there ever was one. A woman  is searching for her artist father in a coastal California town when she runs afoul of a zombie-like cult. One sequence inside a movie theater is as intense as it gets. Great atmosphere and oddly original.

PSYCHOMANIA (1973). A biker gang called The Living Dead figure out a way to come back from the grave and literally live up to their name. It's as cool as it sounds and then some. The Synapse DVD release is a must own.

LISA AND THE DEVIL (1974). Lisa gets lost while vacationing abroad and winds up at a Spanish villa where she has to deal with a very strange housekeeper (played by the too cool Telly Savalas). Arguably Mario Bava's best film, this is a surreal head-trip that gets better (and clearer) the more you watch it. Simply incredible and beautiful to look at. (NOTE: WHATEVER you do avoid the horribly re-cut version titled THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM).


ALUCARDA (1975). Regardless of the year this was released (imdb says 77, most websites say 78, but the official Mondo Macabro DVD release says 75 so I'll take their word for it), ALUCARDA, in my humble opinion, is the best nunsploitation film of all time. A teenage girl arrives at a convent and befriends one of the students. The two get involved with Satan and before you can grab your cross, there's possessions, demonic rebellion, devil worship, a dual exorcism inside a church sanctuary, vampirism, and more ear-shattering SCREAMING than you've ever heard before. This completely batshit crazy Mexican film must be seen to be believed.

THE DEVIL'S RAIN (1975). You just can't get more 70s than this: William Shatner battles devil cult leader Corbis (Ernest Borgnine) in a rural town. It's a slow burner but is creepy as it gets, and is capped off by a dual shock ending. Church of Satan leader Anton LaVey was flown in for guidance during the ritual sequences. I wonder if he got to hang with (victim) John Travolta?

RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975). Buddies Peter Fonda and Warren Oates take their ladies on a trip in an SUV. But after witnessing a satanic ritual murder, they're chased from Texas to Colorado by pissed off devil worshipers in this action-heavy horror flick. The ending still manages to get under my skin.

SUSPIRIA (1977). Highlighted by Goblin's incredible (and incredibly scary) soundtrack, Dario Argento's masterpiece about a dance student whose new ballet academy turns out to be the front for a witch's coven is one of the most beautifully shot horror films ever made. Occult horror blends with giallo-type murders into an unforgettable artistic nightmare.

THE SENTINEL (1977). Adapted from Jeffrey Konvitz' 1974 novel, a fashion models moves into a Brooklyn apartment building inhabited by a bunch of strange neighbors. Turns out the building is a gateway to hell, and she has been chosen to be the next guardian of it. Goofy and dated at times, the film nonetheless still works and features a couple of disturbing and frightening sequences, and even came under fire for using "real" freaks during the finale. I'm still waiting for someone to film the sequel, which was titled THE GUARDIAN in its 1979 novel form.



NOTE: I intentionally didn't list THE EXORCIST,THE OMEN, and PHANTASM as to give lesser knowns some space. Don't sue me.

5 Winners of book giveaway announced

5 winners have been selected to receive a free trade paperback of my latest book, THE ATROCITY VENDOR. Congrats to all...

See the winners here: THE ATROCITY VENDOR winners

THE ATROCITY VENDOR now available

My latest release from GRINDHOUSE PRESS is now available as a trade paperback and eBook. Follow this link for both, and also to get a FREE copy of my previous GRINDHOUSE PRESS novella, THE LAST PORNO THEATER, for FREE for a limited time: The Atrocity Vendor

Works in Progress

While 95% of the time I rely on memory for my column over at Cinema Knife Fight, this time I simply had to revisit a little gem I couldn't fully recall. 1980's ALIEN CONTAMINATION (on DVD as simply CONTAMINATION) is a gory, goofy rip-off of both ALIEN and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. But the crowd I saw it with back in 1982 was so loud and obnoxious I still, all these years later, had no idea what the "story" was all about aside from a few online reviews. But I needed to see for myself. Now I know and the film is even goofier than ever. Hence my 70th column of SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES, coming soon...

My next bizarro novella, CHANNEL 79, runs about 17,000 words and I'm currently in the middle of the first round of edits. This is a riff on the self-help movement, hipsters, and what's inside us manifesting itself in a most unusual way.
I'm finally trying my hand at crime/noir fiction with a novella titled TWO IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD, written under the name Niccolo Fulciano. This project is for a small specialty press and tells the tale of a pizza delivery boy who is forced to become a hitman. It's off to a cool start.
I'm about 10K into my second horror novel, tentatively titled THE DEVELOPMENT. It's about a small community in NJ where teenagers are being affected by something that has taken up residence in the adjoining woods. Don't worry ... it's not an alien.
I wrote my first YA comedy/horror novel SUBURBAN EXORCIST several years ago, but have recently been going through it after letting it sit for (perhaps) too long. I just may begin submitting it soon...
Also waiting for news on several short stories submitted to various places, including one to an anthology tribute to the late punk singer GG Allin. If you told me 30 years ago there would be a tribute anthology to GG Allin I would've laughed. Joke's on me!


Finally, what will probably be the final release from NOVELLO PUBLISHERS (a small press I started in 2005) will be seeing the light of day. I'm currently editing this 10-story, 10-author short story tribute to exploitation film legend Herschell Gordon Lewis, which I had intended for release this past fall of 2014. But due to financial difficulties, it has been pushed up and I'm hoping for an early summer, 2015 date to be announced soon.

Sample chapter from THE ATROCITY VENDOR

My forthcoming dual-novella collection, THE ATROCITY VENDOR, is my tribute to the horror / exploitation films I grew up with in the 70s and 80s. Below is the first chapter of the first novella, titled THE BLASPHEMOUS SISTERS OF ST. APOLLONIA. Then stay tuned for a peek at a later section...






PART ONEINITIATION
CHAPTER ONE

Four non-stop hours in the back seat of her parents’ Mercedes started to get to Abigail Brannon. She was sick and tired of scanning websites on her cell phone and just wanted to get there, to get things started and then over with as quickly as possible.A sign said there were six miles until they reached Aurora. She had read all there was to read about the small, upstate New York town, and while living so close to a lake was probably cozy, she didn’t have high hopes she’d get to see it on this particular trip.Abigail leaned her head back and fought the urge for a smoke. She had been told by her family’s priest there would be absolutely no smoking at St. Apollonia’s, a boarding school for troubled and runaway teens. And while she had never run away from home, Abigail’s behavior since freshman year of high school left her with a few unpleasant options: get serious help now (her father’s words), repeat her senior year under close supervision (her principal’s words) or, get ready for life in prison (the family court judge’s words at the time of her trial for stealing their neighbor’s Cadillac and taking it on a drug-fueled joyride with her friends). And while her friends were probably still getting high and laid, here she was en route to one of the strictest juvenile correctional facilities on the east coast. At least, that’s what her father told her it was.Aurora. Five Miles.How bad could it really be, she asked herself. She’d have to listen to a bunch of priests and nuns preach about the dangers of premarital sex, drinking, drugs—all the usual bullshit she had heard in the dean’s office, only now from the clergy. She’d play along, do what they said to do, and by the time her one-month stay was over she’d be sent back to Manhattan to finish high school and get on with life.True, she knew she’d have to calm down a bit, at least until she got her diploma and got the hell out of her parents’ house, miserable shithole that it was. Big deal if her old man was able to send her to that stuck up prep school on the Upper East Side. Her friends went to public school and their parents didn’t care if they let their hair down once in a while.Aurora. Four Miles.The first thing she planned to do when she got back to the city was kick the living shit out of that twat Debbie. Halfway through their “drug-fueled joyride” around the Lower East Side, she decided she needed to go home, so they dropped her off, and within thirty minutes the cops pulled them over. Bitch ratted them out, as she claimed, “Because I was worried you guys were going to get hurt or killed.”Yeah, right. Abigail shifted in her seat, fantasizing about knocking her alleged friend’s teeth out and hoping Cara or Rachel hadn’t done so yet. She wanted the pleasure of watching the bitch suffer for herself.Aurora. Three Miles.While she wasn’t one to worry, Abigail had to admit she didn’t fully trust Cara around John. They weren’t seeing each other exclusively, but she knew Cara had been eyeing him since the first time she brought him around. Abigail had taken care of him however he wanted, but she wasn’t stupid. Everyone knew Cara was the best looking of her friends, and John was, as far as she could tell, a typical guy.Shit.This crap better go quickly, she thought, daydreaming about how she was doing John on her king-sized bed before her parents came home yesterday, her last day of freedom for an entire month—that is, if she didn’t cause any trouble at St. Apollonia’s.Good God. She knew she messed up, but did her parents really have to send her away, even if for a short period of time?Aurora. Two Miles.“You okay back there?”Abigail responded by nodding her head. She knew her father saw her in the rearview mirror, and she knew her mother didn’t actually have a cold. She was crying into a series of tissues, probably blaming herself for the way her daughter turned out.Sorry to disappoint you, Mom, but not everyone wants to live life with a pole up their ass.“You know this is your only option, honey,” Abigail’s father said as the dashboard GPS told him to make a left at the next stop light.“Mmm-hmmm,” Abigail said, looking at the back of her father’s balding head.“Oh leave her alone, David,” Abigail’s mother said, wiping her nose on yet another tissue. “Just let her be. She’s going, okay? Isn’t that enough for you?”“Sorry, hon. Just trying to make conversation.”The landscape became greener. Trees became more pronounced.Aurora. One Mile.Had this been a family trip like the kind they took when she was a kid, Abigail’s mother would’ve been pointing to the foliage and little gift shops saying how beautiful everything was. But now she was so upset they could’ve been driving through the Las Vegas strip at night and she wouldn’t have noticed a thing.That bitch better stay away from John.That other bitch’s old man better have a good dental plan.These nuns or whoever is running this place better be on the up and up. No old goat better think she’s going to be copping a look or feel of my cooch.Abigail attempted to straighten her thoughts out as they approached a large sign that read:WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE OF AURORAPOPULATION: 750Abigail’s mouth soured when she saw how few people lived here. Apparently she hadn’t read everything there was to know about this place.Within a few minutes they parked in front of St. Apollonia’s rectory. Across the way was St. Apollonia’s Catholic Church, a small but nice looking building that reminded Abigail of a Norman Rockwell painting.Her father removed her suitcase from the trunk then led the way to the front door where Father Clement waited.“Mister Brannon! Welcome to Saint Apollonia’s.” He shook his hand.“Thank you. This is my wife, Claudia.”The priest smiled and shook her hand, but Abigail could tell he was more interested in getting down to business than exchanging pleasantries. She found it odd how he looked exactly like his picture on the St. Apollonia’s website, as if he had just taken the shot yesterday.“And you must be Abigail,” he said, offering her his hand.She shook it but kept her head down.“If you’ll follow me inside we’ll get everything settled and show your daughter to her quarters,” Father Clement said as if Abigail wasn’t standing right there with them.Oh, great, she thought. Despite his smile and positive tone, she could already tell this Clement character was a phony asshole.And before she entered the rectory, she caught a glimpse of a building off in the distance behind the church. Despite the Sunny April morning, it seemed out of place in this picture-perfect town. It was as if a dark cloud hovered over it, letting her know this wasn’t going to be a picnic, that games weren’t played here and her nonsense wouldn’t be tolerated. And when she realized crosses were etched into its side windows, she had a feeling it was the place she’d be spending the next thirty days.Oh yes. Her parents were going to pay for this shit.Dearly.





And now a brief peek from Chapter 12:


After what seemed like a half hour, Sister Ann clapped her hands again. All the nuns stopped dancing and moved into a squad-like formation: the young nuns stood in a line as the hooded nuns took their places behind them. Their bodies sweated so intensely it looked like they were dripping blood in the candlelit attic.As if out of nowhere, Father Clement walked into the room and stood next to Sister Ann.“Excellent work, Sister,” he said, placing a kiss on the elder nun’s cheek. “Has everything been prepared?”“Yes it has, Father.”Abigail followed Sister Ann’s line of sight, which led to a small table a few feet to her left.
On that table sat the pair of rusty-looking metal pincers.


THE ATROCITY VENDOR by Nick CatoComing 1/27/15 from


The above selections from THE ATROCITY VENDOR are copyright 2015 Nick Cato. 

My Top 5 Reads of 2014

I usually read about 80 books per year, but 2014 was busy for me writing-wise so I'm fortunate enough I read the 56 titles listed below (plus one unpublished novel not listed here). I had a hard time picking a top ten so I narrowed it to a top 5.


1) SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn
2) THE LAST DAY OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman3) WHEN THEY COME BACK by Chris Conlon4) THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Tim Waggoner5) IN THE SPOOKLIGHT by Michael Arruda6) GLIMPSES by Rick Hautala7) NAMELESS: THE DARKNESS COMES by Mercedes Yardley8) BASAL GANGLIA by Matthew Revert9) ROSE OF SHARON by Gary A. Braunbeck10) I AM THE NEW GOD by Nicole Cushing11) THE DREAM WARD by Jon R. Meyers12) PEGGED by David R. Hayes13) BOOT BOYS OF THE WOLF REICH by David Agranoff14) REAPING THE DARK by Gary McMahon15) RELIC OF DEATH by David Bernstein16) THE BLUE CLASSROOM by Rob Labbe17) HIDEOUS FACES, BEAUTIFUL SKULLS by Mark McLaughlin18) ELDERWOOD MANOR by Christopher Fulbright and Angeline Hawkes19) CEREMONY OF FLIES by Kate Jonez20) THE KILLING KIND 2 by Bryan Smith21) FAINT OF HEART by Jeff Strand22) DUNGEONS & DRAG QUEENS by MP Johnson23) SAVAGING THE DARK by Chris Conlon24) WITCH! edited by Jordan Krall25) GRUNT LIFE by Weston Ochse26) GUNS by Josh Myers27) GREEN TSUNAMI by L.L. Soares & Laura Cooney28) WORLD GONE WILD by David J. Moore29) DEAD IN THE U.S.A. by David Price30) CONDUITS by Jenn Loring31) PROUD PARENTS by Kristopher Rufty32) GRAVITY COMICS MASSACRE by Vincent Bilof33) THE LAST MILE by Tim Waggoner34) JACKPOT (v/a)35) APT. 7C by David Bernstein36) NIGHTMARES FROM A LOVECRAFTIAN MIND by Jordan Krall37) THE FRENZY WOLVES by Gregory Lamberson38) ELMER CROWLEY by Tom Bradley39) POSSUMS EAT YOUR FACE! by Stephan Imri-Knight40) SHADOWS OVER FLORIDA by David and Scott Goudsward41) TAKE MY LIFE PLEASE! by Henny Youngman42) THE FAMILY TREE by John Everson43) FATAL JOURNEYS by Lucy Taylor44) PINK PLANET by Jon R. Meyers45) HELL'S WAITING ROOM by C.V. Hunt46) HELL COMES TO HOLLYWOOD 2 edited by Erik Smith47) EVERYONE HATES A HERO by Gregory Hall48) DEATH WARP by MP Johnson49) THE BIG TREE by Rick Hautala50) REVIVAL by Stephen King51) MISSING REELS by Farran Smith Fehme52) OASIS OF THE DAMNED by Greg F. Gifune53) GHOST CHANT by Gina Ranalli54) EVERYTHING IS DANGEROUS AT ALL TIMES by Jordan Krall
55) DEAD KENNEDYS: THE EARLY YEARS by Alex Cogg56) PLAGUE OF DARKNESS by Daniel Keohane

My top five released in 2014 are:

5) FATAL JOURNEYS by Lucy Taylor - Not a dull tale in Lucy's latest collection, several of which are genuinely frightening.

4) SAVAGING THE DARK by Christopher Conlon - As disturbing as dark fiction can get, yet I could not look away.

3) I AM THE NEW GOD by Nicole Cushing - Wickedly smart and terrifying. Religious-themed horror just doesn't get better than this.

2) GRUNT LIFE by Weston Ochse - The first in a new military scifi series is edge-of-your seat exciting with lots of promise for future installments.

1) MISSING REELS by Farran Smith Fehme - Fehme's look at obsessive vintage film fanatics living in late 80s NYC cleverly hides its rom/com core under slick Woody Allen-like humor and features a to-die-for cast. Enjoy this now before someone like Cameron Diaz or Ben Affleck destroys it with a film version. A near-perfect debut novel.

My Year at the Movies

Due to the fact I spend most of my theater-going time at either midnight or retro screenings, I don't see enough new films to make a Top Ten list. So instead, here are the few new films I saw theatrically in 2014, followed by some new titles I caught on bluray or pay per view.

SEEN IN THEATERS:


I had the absolute pleasure (and privilege) of seeing Alejandro Jodorowsky's latest film at NYC's Museum of Modern Art. While it was incredible to see a Q&A session with Jodo (not to mention sitting 3 rows behind him during the screening), the film itself is a fantastic, surreal bio-pic that lets us in on both his life and the things in it that inspired his classic cult films. This was Jodorowsky's first film in 23 years, and as far as I'm concerned, was well worth the wait. (NOTE: This film was released in 2013, but not in the USA until 2014).



Here's a documentary that will have scifi (and Jodorowsky) fans climbing the walls in both glee and aggravation: this tells the story of a failed attempt to bring James Herbert's classic novel to the screen. Jodorowsky managed to get an incredible list of artists on board (from HR Giger to Pink Floyd) yet despite his best intentions it was never to be. A huge storyboard book exists, and was seen by executives at every major American film company. Halfway through this film most viewers will agree this would have been not only one of the greatest scifi films of all time, but one of the greatest FILMS of all time had it been able to come together. But there were some incredible obstacles standing in the way (the least of which was an absurd running time), but geeks will watch this documentary over and over, dreaming of what could have been. One of the best docs I've seen in ages.


Like every other life-long Godzilla fan, I was apprehensive about another American Godzilla film, but when trailers began showing up I became hopeful. Well, I'm among the crowd who didn't care for it and felt it was an incredible bore. The few fight sequences between our favorite giant lizard and two creatures are a real blast and looked great on the big screen, but the tediousness that precedes the finale is painful to sit through. Godzilla sure did look great, but this is a forgettable effort to bring the Big G back to life.


I believe EVERY film needs to be seen on the big screen to be experienced properly, and SNOWPIERCER had some jaw-dropping visuals home viewers missed out on. This South Korean film (although shot in English by the director of 2006's nifty monster movie THE HOST) is filled with wall-to-wall action and features an "us-vs-them" class struggle plot that makes this the best "punk rock" movie in years. I'm surprised so many didn't care for it. It's fantastic.


Despite being a comic book geek, I've never read an issue of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. I'm also SICK TO DEATH of comic book movies. Perhaps that's why I loved this humorous, action-packed take on super hero and scifi tropes. Stop being a hipster douche and just admit you liked it...


Here's another one a lot of people hated. Maybe the humor was just way too dark? Or maybe some viewers had never seen a "body horror" film before? Either way, Kevin Smith's latest (which was based on one of his podcasts) is grim, darkly comic, and best of all, wonderfully weird. It's so much easier to enjoy films like this when you go in without a pipe shoved up your ass.


I'm one of those people who hates when filmmakers take too much liberty converting a novel (which is often the case with Stephen King adaptations). But this time author Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay for her kick ass thriller and the result, to me, was perfect. A common complaint I've heard from those who didn't care for this film were "the two protagonists were just terrible people." Well ... DUH. Anyway, a great adaptation of a great novel and a rare mainstream release that kept my interest despite the lengthy running time. Now if we can only get a good film version of Flynn's amazing debut, SHARP OBJECTS.


SEEN ON BLU-RAY / PAY PER VIEW:

I've been a huge fan of film critic Roger Ebert since getting into his SNEAK PREVIEWS TV show as a kid. This documentary on his life is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking. I'll be watching this one again and again.


An above average "possession" film, where we're not sure if Deborah is possessed or suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Nothing groundbreaking, but decent.



Let me 'fess up: the ONLY reason I saw this was due to my crush on actress Eva Green (who provides one of the more interesting sex scenes in quite some time). But other than that, this CGI-heavy battle epic is goofy, features ridiculous dialogue, and is as forgettable as yesterday's newspaper. I still haven't seen the original which I hear is better.



I still don't know how I feel about this one. It's a re-telling of the Jonestown massacre (right down to the Kool Aid finale) yet without the cult leader being named Jim Jones. I don't understand why they didn't just title it CULT OF THE DAMNED or something and bill it as a remake? Well made with no surprises.



Despite reminding me an awful lot of SINISTER (2012), this Irish ghost story packs on the scares. I'm still kicking myself for missing its NYC midnight premiere. Good stuff.



The most hyped horror film of the year bored me senseless. This is very well made and acted, yet not a single thing in it scared me (most horror fans strongly disagree). Much of what goes on here has been done before, and I'm still trying to figure out what all the hype is about. For a much better (and original) film that focuses on a woman's grief/mental breakdown, see the 1981 Andrzej Zulawski classic POSSESSION. I wrote a lengthy review of THE BABADOOK but decided to hide it until I have a second viewing. Either everyone has been the victim of a mass delusion or I'm finally loosing it for horror films ...



Directors Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani's second homage to 60s/70s giallo films is a thickly-layered mind-bender that features some of the best visuals of the year. THE STRANGE COLOR OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS requires multiple viewings and much contemplation: a friend and I are talking about it daily and coming up with new ideas of just what the hell is happening, and it's starting to look so simple it's pure genius. Another one I'll be viewing again and again. Easily my favorite film of 2014. I MUST see this on a big screen.


RETRO / MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS:
Among some of the midnight screenings I enjoyed this year were 35mm prints of ERASERHEAD (1977), PIECES (1982), SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (1972), and CHOPPING MALL (1986). I also attended a wonderful drive-in horror fest in Upstate NY and saw (in one manic overnight session) 35mm prints of NIGHTMARE (1981), THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK (1976), WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS? (1974), THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA (1976) and what is now possibly my new favorite 70s cult film, WONDER WOMEN (1973).

2014 FILMS I NEED TO SEE:
- THE RAID 2- A GIRL WALKS ALONE AT NIGHT- UNDER THE SKIN- LATE PHASES.

Cover Reveal and Enter to Win my New Novella for FREE...

THE ATROCITY VENDOR will be released in late January, 2015 by GRINDHOUSE PRESS, the same folks who released my 2013 novella, THE LAST PORNO THEATER. Cover art by the great Matthew Revert.

You can also enter to win one of 5 free copies right here: Goodreads Giveaway

From the back cover: 

You and your friends visit an old theater on the seedy side of town. You pay for a double feature and take your seats. The lights go down and your palms get sweaty.

A juvenile delinquent is sent to an isolated Catholic boarding school for troubled and runaway teens. Abigail’s parents are hoping the experience will straighten their daughter out, but the nuns at St. Apollonia have something else in mind. They’re about to introduce Abigail to the obscure saint they’ve come to worship in a ceremony neither of her parents would approve of.

You get up to use the bathroom and get some more popcorn, then barely make it back in time when the second feature begins …

An NYU anthropology professor has just received troubling footage from a colleague on an unsanctioned assignment in South America. Doctor Ridgeway’s crew has been murdered by a local tribe and his whereabouts are unknown. With the help of a wealthy student’s father, professor Buchanan travels to the southernmost city of Ushuaia to search for his long time friend as well as the legendary Guaranez tribe. But there’s a catch: said student’s father works for the Museum of Natural History and has hired a team of mercenaries to bring members of the tribe back to Manhattan…

You and your friends have barely kept your theater snacks down. Possessed nuns. Third World Cannibals. Religious cults. Machete and chainsaw-wielding mayhem. All just the initial offerings of The Atrocity Vendor …