Seth Tucker's Blog, page 7
November 21, 2017
Atlanta Steampunk Exposition 2017 – Wrap-up
Good morning all, I wanted to thank everyone that came by at Atlanta Steampunk Exposition (ASE) and picked up a book. This was the show’s first year, and it was a great show. We saw a lot of great, top-tier cosplay, and I had the opportunity to meet some great independent authors like myself.
Here are just two examples of the cosplay that was on display.
If you are a fan of steampunk fiction, this was the con for you. ASE had a lot of great authors, and I was able to pick up some books. You can click on any of the covers below to pick up the books that I added to my library this weekend.
ASE 2017 was a success in my opinion. A lot of people attended and everyone appeared to have a great time. We have received confirmation that they will be doing a second show in 2018. If possible, I hope to be a part of it. Thank you very much to everyone that came out, if you weren’t able to make it, I hope to see you at another show sometime soon.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: ASE, Atlanta, Atlanta Steampunk Exposition, author, books, con, convention, cosplay, fun, independent, show, steam punk, steampunk, victorian, writer, writing
November 13, 2017
Christmas in Lithia wrap-up and 1 more show for the year.
A big thank you to everyone that came out to Christmas in Lithia this year. I was able to see some familiar faces and meet a lot of great new people. This is one of the few craft shows that I do, and the people just keep making it an awesome show that I can’t resist.
This coming weekend, November 18-19th, I’ll be with my wife and cover artist at Atlanta Steampunk Exposition. I hope to see you guys out there. This will also be my last show of 2017. If you are looking for something to do this weekend and are in the Atlanta area, stop by and say ‘hi.’
Again, big thanks to everyone that came out this past weekend, and I hope to see some of you this coming weekend.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: art, Atlanta, Atlanta Steampunk Exposition, Christmas in Lithia, con, convention, crafts, shows, steampunk, writer, writing
November 8, 2017
Last shows of the year
Hello faithful readers, I have two more shows before the end of the year.
The first is Christmas in Lithia. This show is on November 11-12 at Lithia Springs High School. It is a craft show featuring a variety of vendors, I will be there with copies of my books alongside my wife, who will have her prints and coloring books available. My sister-in-law will be joining us with her collection of handmade, geek-inspired bags and pouches. For more information, you can click here.
On November 18-19, I will be at the Atlanta Steampunk Exposition at the Atlanta Marriott at the Galleria. This promises to be a fun show. The weekend before Thanksgiving, this show will be debuting with a host of steampunk guests and authors. If you are a steampunk enthusiast, then I urge you to come out. You can click here for more information.
If you are looking for Christmas gifts that are not your average store bought merchandise, or you want some autographed books for yourself or someone special, then both of these shows are places to find them. Also, if you happen to be in the area on those dates and are looking for something to do, I think you’ll have a good time at either event. Hope to see you there.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Atlanta, Atlanta Steampunk Exposition, author, books, Christmas, Christmas in Lithia, con, craft, expo, Galleria, Georgia, gifts, Lithia Springs, show, shows, steam punk, steampunk, Thanksgiving, writer, writing
October 31, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 31 – An explosion of terrors
This entry is going to be a different beast, I’m not going to just talk about one movie, but four. We have two that are adult only entries and two that are family friendly, just in case you wanted something to do with the kids after trick or treating. You can click on the image below the recommendation to pick up a copy.
I’ll start with our family friendly options.
First, I would recommend the Disney film Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as three witches brought back to life 300 years after their execution on Halloween night. Their mission is to prolong their lives beyond the one night by drinking the vitality from the children of Salem. Our heroes in this film are the three kids that resurrected our villains and a cursed cat that has been waiting for three centuries to destroy the witches permanently. Fun with few serious scares and enjoyable performances throughout, this film is a Halloween classic for the entire family.
Our next option for a family night of frightful fun is not a feature-length movie but one of the thirty minute shorts that was created in the 80s for seasonal viewing. I give you Garfield’s Halloween Adventure. Our favorite feline and his stalwart canine companion set out for a night of fun filled with candy and find themselves on an old island with a single inhabitant. They learn that at the stroke of midnight a ghost pirate ship will return to the island to reclaim their buried treasure. The ending has moments that may be too intense for children, but this special has a place in my heart directly beside It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
Now, are the kids away? Looking for something that is much more adult oriented? Perfect, I have two recommendations that are prime for this night.
First, we have the classic John Carpenter’s Halloween. A film that cemented John Carpenter in movie history, created the modern day slasher film, and launched Jamie Lee Curtis’ feature film career. The series devolved the way that most slasher franchise’s do, but this first one is still an excellent movie. From the pervasive nature of Michael Myers as he stalks his victims until the final thrilling moments, this movie still manages to keep you intensely staring at the screen.
Finally, we come to an anthology film set around the traditions of this very special night. Trick R Treat weaves a cohesive story with four incredibly well done tales that celebrate the traditions of Halloween. You’ll find out why you check your candy, dress in costumes, never blow out a jack-o-lantern before midnight, and always make sure that you have plenty of treats. All the while our “host” of sorts Sam keeps a watchful eye on the participants of the evening. If you haven’t seen this film and love Halloween and horror, check it out. It is well-acted, fun to watch, and provides something for everyone. Again, this film is not for kids.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed our 31 Days of Halloween, I know that I have. Thanks for reading and have a Happy Halloween!
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 31days, 31daysofhalloween, adult, adventure, anthology, bette Midler, Disney, family fun, Garfield, ghosts, Halloween, Hocus Pocus, horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jim Davis, john carpenter, Michael Dougherty, movie, Night, Pirates, Sarah Jessica Parker, scary, slasher, Trick or treat, Trick R Treat, werewolf, witches
October 30, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 30 – the final Monster Monday
Hello all, we have done a good deal of films this year dealing with various monsters and the mayhem that they cause. For our final monster, I’ve delved back to the early 2000’s. Today, I give to you Jeepers Creepers.
This movie has spawned two sequels (the latest film arrived in September 2017), features a good creature design, does not give away all of its secrets, and features a young Justin Long. Two siblings are harassed by a strange truck on a small country road. They see the driver of the truck throwing strangely shaped bundles into a drainpipe and investigate. This is where they become a target of the creeper. Inside, they find a strange mural of the macabre with multiple human bodies having been preserved and placed on the stone wall. Their attempts to flee the monster will lead them to a local psychic and a final pulse-pounding chase through a crowded police station.
Part of the charm of this series is the fact that it hints at a mythology that creates a solid reality and never fully explains everything. You don’t see a wood-cutting from a book and then receive a flashback to fully detail the events of the past. What the film does is provide you with a glimpse of historic things featuring our monster, while not explaining the hows and whys. For a low-budget horror film, Jeepers Creepers hits all the right buttons for me.
You can click below to pick up a copy and read on for the official synopsis.
Synopsis: After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old abandoned church, Trish (Gina Philips) and her brother Darry (Justin Long) watch their routine road trip home turn into a heart stopping race for their lives.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 31days, 31daysofhalloween, cannibal, chase, creature, Creeper, Darry, film, franchise, Halloween, hard effects, horror, Jeepers Creepers, justin long, monday, monster, movie, mythological, practical effects, psychic, scary, terror, unnerving, Victor Silva
October 29, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 29 – The curtain descends on the final Silent Sunday
For this, our final Silent Sunday, I am once more digging into the history of German cinema for a delightful treat from 1920. This is The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.
I could go into depth about how this film is a surrealist nightmare that delves into insanity and still causes discomfort with its startling visuals. If you have never seen this film and consider yourself a film connoisseur, you will be glad to watch this. German cinema gave us the horror film, and this is a prime example of how and why. With no real “monster” to speak of this film delivers a deep seated terror that few modern films can surpass.
Click on the cover below to obtain a copy and read below for the official synopsis.
Synopsis: In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the movement known as German Expressionism into film history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world. Director Robert Wiene and a visionary team of designers crafted a nightmare realm in which light, shadow and substance are abstracted, a world in which a demented doctor and a carnival sleepwalker perpetrate a series of ghastly murders in a small community. This authoritative edition of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 4K restoration scanned from the (mostly) preserved camera negative at the German Federal Film Archive.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 20s, 31days, 31daysofhalloween, Cabinet of Dr Caligari, expressionism, German, Halloween, iconic, nightmare, silent, surrealist
October 28, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 28 – Atomic Insects
Hello all. This is our last Saturday before the 31st, and I wanted to cover one of my favorite films. It is one of the first atomic monster movies and the first to feature giant insects. The film is titled simply Them!.
As a kid, I adored this film and still enjoy watching it and exposing others to it. The film stars James Whitmore and James Arness as lawmen, who stumble upon an incredible discovery. Atomic radiation has caused an ant colony to grow to gigantic proportions. This film actually taught me a lot of things that I would never have known about ants and covers the science accurately. It also claims Oscar-nominated special effects.
Fans of classic giant monster movies have to see this one. If you grew up watching old horror movies on Saturday nights, I guarantee that you have seen this classic. Click on the cover below and read on for the official synopsis from Amazon.com.
Synopsis: A landmark movie about giant radiation-mutated ants with Oscar®-nominated effects and an epic struggle in the drains beneath Los Angeles, Them! only gets better with age.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 31days, 31daysofhalloween, 50s, ant, ants, atomic, classic, giant, Halloween, James Arness, monster, radiation, radioactive, Them
October 27, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 27 – A Freaky Friday of desserts
Today, I’m straying a little bit from things that have borrowed from H.P. Lovecraft, not because I ran out of things, I’m sure we’ll see at least one more Lovecraftian inspired entry before the end of the season. I did it because there are a lot of good little nuggets of weirdness that popped up on video store shelves in the 1980s, and they deserve to be remembered (well some of them do anyway).
Today, I bring to you The Stuff. Have you ever felt that the horror market was missing a food-driven plotline? If so, this is the film for you. The Stuff is a creamy, filling dessert that is outselling ice cream and has no calories. As you can imagine the ice cream giants are unhappy with this turn of events and hire a industrial saboteur to find out how The Stuff is made and shut down the operation. As you might guess, it isn’t as simple as shutting down a factory or stealing a secret recipe. You’ll never look at yogurt or ice cream the same way again.
Click below on the cover to grab a copy and read on for the official synopsis.
Synopsis: Amalgamated Dairies hires David Rutherford, an FBI man turned industrial saboteur, to investigate a popular new product called “The Stuff,” a new dessert product that is blowing ice cream sales out of the water. Nobody knows how it’s made or what’s in it, but people are lining up to buy it. It’s got a delicious flavor to die for.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 31days, 31daysofhalloween, 80s, blob, campy, direct to video, Halloween, horror, ice cream, movie, stuff, The Stuff, video
October 26, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 26 – Chills from the Arctic
When you think of the frozen landscapes that can be the setting for a horror story, most horror fans will go to John Carpenter’s The Thing or H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. Both of these are great examples of how to use the isolation and strange white vistas to craft a compelling tale. I’m also willing to wager that most of you are aware of them. Today, I wanted to bring you a different movie that is very much in the vein of these giants of horror.
Harbinger Down is a film that was born from 2011’s The Thing (the prequel). Amalgamated Dynamics was hired to do most of the special effects work on the film. By the time the film was released, most of their work had been replaced by CGI in post-production. The effects team posted the footage of their effects on Youtube, where it received great response. The team started a Kickstarter campaign to make their own film, utilizing their own practical effects. It was the most successful scifi/horror Kickstarter campaign at the time.
This film is great for fans of practical effects in monster movies. I enjoyed the cast and felt that the film made the most out of a meager budget for a film of this scope. Lance Henriksen stars as the Captain of a crab boat that dredges up something nasty from the Soviet space program. If you haven’t seen this film, but love Carpenter’s The Thing, then I advise you to check out this movie. You can click the cover below to pick up a copy and read on for the official synopsis.
Synopsis: A group of grad students have booked passage on the crabbing boat Harbinger to study the effects of global warming on a pod of Belugas in the Bering Sea. When the ship’s crew dredges up a recently thawed piece of old Soviet space wreckage, things get downright deadly.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 31days, 31daysofhalloween, ADI, Alec Woodruff, Arctic, cosmic horror, effects, frozen tundra, Halloween, Harbinger Down, hp lovecraft, john carpenter, lovecraft, lovecraftian, monster, practical effects, Soviet, special effects, The Thing
October 25, 2017
31 Days of Halloween Day 25 – Werewolf Wednesday marches onward
This is the last Werewolf Wednesday before Halloween. It was tough for me to settle on a film or book to post about today. Should I go classic with and do Universal’s The Wolf Man, or maybe do international and recommend one of Paul Naschy’s many werewolf films. Instead, I decided to do a film that is just a lot of fun. The recommendation for today is Dog Soldiers.
Soldiers vs. werewolves, ’nuff said. No? This film is absolutely awesome and the best werewolf film made in the last 15 years. It pits a group of soldiers (who were being used as bait) against a pack of werewolves that reside in a secluded valley in the country side. The Special Forces that were going to trap the werewolves as they hunted our soldiers were decimated. Now, the soldiers with one of the locals have taken refuge in a secluded farmhouse to withstand the onslaught awaiting during the night. It’s Aliens and The Alamo, with werewolves.
The performances in this film are great. Each of the characters is well-acted, and you will grow attached to them. You never see a full transformation on screen, which is good. I image that they did not have the budget to do a good practical effects transformation. Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday, Games of Thrones) made his directorial debut in this film. I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed all of the projects that he’s made since this, and I quickly fell in love with this movie.
You can click on the cover below and read the official synopsis.
Synopsis: A group of soldiers dispatched to the Scottish Highlands on special training maneuvers face their biggest fears after they run into Captain Ryan: the only survivor of a Special Ops team that was literally torn to pieces. Ryan refuses to disclose his mission even though whoever attacked his men might be hungry for seconds. Help arrives in the form of local girl who shelters them in a deserted farmhouse deep in the forest…but when they realize that they are surrounded by a pack of blood-lusting werewolves, it’s apparent their nightmare has just begun!
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 2000s, 31days, 31daysofhalloween, action, action horror, Aliens, awesome, dog soldiers, Doomsday, explosions, fun, Game of Thrones, guns, Halloween, horror, Neil Marshall, Sean Pertwee, soldiers, The Alamo, werewolf, werewolves
