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Leprechaun in the Hood: The Musical: A Novel
Thirty, jobless, and going pre-maturely bald, amateur director Simon has dumped every last dime into his pet project: a musical adaptation of the cult film LEPRECHAUN IN THE HOOD. With a week til curtains up, the production is a disaster. His actors can’t act, his crew hates his guts, and his set has a tendency to go up in flames. And all that is before the actual leprechaun, a mythological beast with a penchant for limericks and grisly murder, catches wind of the whole operation. Gathering as many four leaf-clovers and wrought-iron spears as they can, the surviving cast and crew must band together to kill the creature and ensure that the musical goes ahead as planned. But with an army of undead strippers at his side, the leprechaun is determined to disembowel, behead, and battle rap his way toward reclaiming his gold…and his intellectual property.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2014
6 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Pierce
59 books198 followersCameron Pierce is the author of eleven books, including the Wonderland Book Award-winning collection Lost in Cat Brain Land. His work has appeared in The Barcelona Review, Gray's Sporting Journal, Hobart, The Big Click, and Vol. I Brooklyn, and has been reviewed and featured on Comedy Central and The Guardian. He was also the author of the column Fishing and Beer, where he interviewed acclaimed angler Bill Dance and John Lurie of Fishing with John. Pierce is the head editor of Lazy Fascist Press and has edited three anthologies, including The Best Bizarro Fiction of the Decade. He lives with his wife in Astoria, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 8, 2014
A TOP SHELF review, originally published in the September 5, 2014 edition of The Monitor
Tongue-in-cheek Terror
As comedy horror series go, the films that make up the Leprechaun franchise are pretty laughable, and not in a particularly good way. From Ireland to Nebraska, from Las Vegas to the far reaches of space and back to the ‘hood of Compton, the titular green-clad villain (played by Warwick Davis) has been surrounded by groan-worthy gags and potty humor.
But that’s part of the movies’ charm.
When I first discovered that bizarro-fiction wunderkind Cameron Pierce had teamed up with independent horror authors Shane McKenzie and Adam Cesare to conjointly write Leprechaun in the Hood: The Musical: A Novel, I was giddy with amused delight. Originally uploaded in Dickensian installments on a subreddit, the wickedly humorous and gory project wholly lived up to my expectations.
This week, those installments were published as a single novel by Broken River Books. The plot centers on the attempt by amateur theater director Simon to put on a musical version of the fifth film in the franchise in his native Portland, Oregon, skirting the problems of copyrights (as the book itself does, in a marvelous meta twist) by making the theatrical version more of a parody.
Though the city and indeed the independent media across the country are abuzz at the ostensibly daring artistry of Simon, the friends and acquaintances he has wrangled together for his project are fed up with him as the novel opens. The stage-fright-suffering star, Marvin, and Byron, the project’s rapper, find themselves increasingly alienated from their friend, and more experienced drama folks like Trinie and Mark are embarrassed at his incompetence.
Worse, however, is the fact that the real Leprechaun on whom Lubdan (the films’ protagonist) is based is incensed when he sees a flyer advertising the musical. While he had arranged with the Hollywood executives the right to use his image in their films, he has struck no suck bargain with Simon and his crew, so he decides to rain vengeance of a ghastly Irish sort upon their heads.
Director and actors must scramble amidst tragedy to figure out which rules from the self-contradictory films actually apply in order to defeat the gold-loving imp. Mayhem ensues.
Pierce, Cesare and McKenzie wrangle the action with the unfettered glee of a 1980s Sam Raimi, boggling the mind with horrific yet insanely funny set pieces. Amazingly, however, the main characters are pretty well rounded, rising above the typical cannon fodder or plot contrivances typical of the films themselves.
Most gratifying is the way in which the authors, in the midst of some truly mind-boggling insanity, manage to deal deftly with very timely issues of intellectual property rights and the role of satire and parody in modern society.
The writing is Spartan but strong, with fantastic dialogue and eerily memorable descriptions from three honest-to-goodness masters of their craft. If you enjoy horror, bizarro fiction, or edgy parodies, definitely check this one out.
Tongue-in-cheek Terror
As comedy horror series go, the films that make up the Leprechaun franchise are pretty laughable, and not in a particularly good way. From Ireland to Nebraska, from Las Vegas to the far reaches of space and back to the ‘hood of Compton, the titular green-clad villain (played by Warwick Davis) has been surrounded by groan-worthy gags and potty humor.
But that’s part of the movies’ charm.
When I first discovered that bizarro-fiction wunderkind Cameron Pierce had teamed up with independent horror authors Shane McKenzie and Adam Cesare to conjointly write Leprechaun in the Hood: The Musical: A Novel, I was giddy with amused delight. Originally uploaded in Dickensian installments on a subreddit, the wickedly humorous and gory project wholly lived up to my expectations.
This week, those installments were published as a single novel by Broken River Books. The plot centers on the attempt by amateur theater director Simon to put on a musical version of the fifth film in the franchise in his native Portland, Oregon, skirting the problems of copyrights (as the book itself does, in a marvelous meta twist) by making the theatrical version more of a parody.
Though the city and indeed the independent media across the country are abuzz at the ostensibly daring artistry of Simon, the friends and acquaintances he has wrangled together for his project are fed up with him as the novel opens. The stage-fright-suffering star, Marvin, and Byron, the project’s rapper, find themselves increasingly alienated from their friend, and more experienced drama folks like Trinie and Mark are embarrassed at his incompetence.
Worse, however, is the fact that the real Leprechaun on whom Lubdan (the films’ protagonist) is based is incensed when he sees a flyer advertising the musical. While he had arranged with the Hollywood executives the right to use his image in their films, he has struck no suck bargain with Simon and his crew, so he decides to rain vengeance of a ghastly Irish sort upon their heads.
Director and actors must scramble amidst tragedy to figure out which rules from the self-contradictory films actually apply in order to defeat the gold-loving imp. Mayhem ensues.
Pierce, Cesare and McKenzie wrangle the action with the unfettered glee of a 1980s Sam Raimi, boggling the mind with horrific yet insanely funny set pieces. Amazingly, however, the main characters are pretty well rounded, rising above the typical cannon fodder or plot contrivances typical of the films themselves.
Most gratifying is the way in which the authors, in the midst of some truly mind-boggling insanity, manage to deal deftly with very timely issues of intellectual property rights and the role of satire and parody in modern society.
The writing is Spartan but strong, with fantastic dialogue and eerily memorable descriptions from three honest-to-goodness masters of their craft. If you enjoy horror, bizarro fiction, or edgy parodies, definitely check this one out.
January 5, 2015
You know if you're going to be the type of person who likes this book. Leprechaun in the Hood : the Musical, a Novel is absolutely fantastic and disgusting and absurd. It delivers exactly what it promises.
If you're into ridiculous premises, terrible/hilarious horror movies, and blood thrown around with glee, this is your book.
If you're into ridiculous premises, terrible/hilarious horror movies, and blood thrown around with glee, this is your book.
February 2, 2015
If you only read one book this year about the staging of a Leprechaun in the Hood musical, make it this one.
June 20, 2019
Super fun read. Very heavy on inside jokes from the film series, which is to be expected, but done in a way that I enjoyed.
September 8, 2020
Too silly and contrived for my liking. Didnt care about any of the characters and halfway through I was skimming through the book just to get it over with.
March 11, 2016
Let me start by stating that I'm not a big fan of the Leprechaun films, but I do love Warwick Davis. Huge Willow fan over here.
Anyway, I was drawn to this book because I've really dug everything I've read by Cesare, and Pierce. And this thing was put out by Broken River books! You cannot go wrong there. I'd never read anything by Shane McKenzie before, but I'm certainly a fan now. This novel is fantastic! I mean, I'm not sure why Hollywood hasn't come calling on this one yet. It would make the perfect meta cap to close out the Leprechaun franchise. Forget whatever they did with that WWE leprechaun reboot. Call back Warwick, and get this sucker made.
It is just such a damn cinematic book. I feel like this element must come down to Adam Cesare's involvement. Everything I've read by the guy would make a hell of a movie, but he wrote this with two other guys. And it must be noted that there is no change in voice throughout the book's 200+ pages. That is kind of a magical feat in itself. How in the hell did they do this? I really would like to know how they worked this one so tightly together as a team, as I've read other multi-author books by quite esteemed writers that were sloppy as fuck. Not here. There doesn't seem to be anything like this one is Adam's chapter, and this one is Shane's chapter going on here. It's just one solid unit. They have become literary Voltron in this sense. Seriously, with a concept that some would scoff at as leading to pure silliness, these guys didn't head down that path. This is the work of pros.
There is plenty of silliness, though. Don't worry. Plenty of peril, and gore as well. Following these characters' attempts to put on a "so bad it's good" stage production of a Leprechaun in the Hood film is pure joy.
I just realized that I didn't even really talk about the story itself. Then I realized that the best thing about writing a review for this book is that I don't even have to set up the story for you. It's all there in the title. If you dig horror at all you will enjoy this book. Hell, you'll probably love it even if you hate the Leprechaun films. Check it out!
Anyway, I was drawn to this book because I've really dug everything I've read by Cesare, and Pierce. And this thing was put out by Broken River books! You cannot go wrong there. I'd never read anything by Shane McKenzie before, but I'm certainly a fan now. This novel is fantastic! I mean, I'm not sure why Hollywood hasn't come calling on this one yet. It would make the perfect meta cap to close out the Leprechaun franchise. Forget whatever they did with that WWE leprechaun reboot. Call back Warwick, and get this sucker made.
It is just such a damn cinematic book. I feel like this element must come down to Adam Cesare's involvement. Everything I've read by the guy would make a hell of a movie, but he wrote this with two other guys. And it must be noted that there is no change in voice throughout the book's 200+ pages. That is kind of a magical feat in itself. How in the hell did they do this? I really would like to know how they worked this one so tightly together as a team, as I've read other multi-author books by quite esteemed writers that were sloppy as fuck. Not here. There doesn't seem to be anything like this one is Adam's chapter, and this one is Shane's chapter going on here. It's just one solid unit. They have become literary Voltron in this sense. Seriously, with a concept that some would scoff at as leading to pure silliness, these guys didn't head down that path. This is the work of pros.
There is plenty of silliness, though. Don't worry. Plenty of peril, and gore as well. Following these characters' attempts to put on a "so bad it's good" stage production of a Leprechaun in the Hood film is pure joy.
I just realized that I didn't even really talk about the story itself. Then I realized that the best thing about writing a review for this book is that I don't even have to set up the story for you. It's all there in the title. If you dig horror at all you will enjoy this book. Hell, you'll probably love it even if you hate the Leprechaun films. Check it out!
November 3, 2014
This was a lot of fun to read. I want to let it be known first off that it has been quite some time since I've seen any of the Leprechaun films. I once thought it'd be cool to buy a box set of the films, but upon watching realized just how mediocre they were. Like one character in this novel says, "It's nobody's favorite horror franchise, you fucking psychopath!" Though after reading this, these writers have rekindled my respect for Leprechaun, whether it be the one portrayed by Warwick Davis, or the general concept of the myth itself.
The story follows a man who is trying to put on a musical homage to the Leprechaun films, primarily the two "in the hood" films, the only ones other than the first that I seem to remember. The conflict comes from the actual mythological Leprechaun discovering a poster of the coming attraction. Becoming frustrated with the image the public has branded him with, he refuses to let his gold, or his intellectual property to become further damaged or owned by any simple humans.
Don't let a lack of experience with the films, or general leprechaun lore discourage you from picking this one up. Each chapter is like a suspenseful scene in any good slasher flick. The humor, the mostly unbelievable situations in which one questions what is happening, how so and so isn't dead, etc., it's all here. The references to rules of leprechaun magic are here, and by the end, you're left feeling like you've seen all the films in the series. For fans of troma-esque b-movie horror, a well constructed parody, or just Little bearded guys in green tights, I would definitely recommend giving this novel a shot.
The story follows a man who is trying to put on a musical homage to the Leprechaun films, primarily the two "in the hood" films, the only ones other than the first that I seem to remember. The conflict comes from the actual mythological Leprechaun discovering a poster of the coming attraction. Becoming frustrated with the image the public has branded him with, he refuses to let his gold, or his intellectual property to become further damaged or owned by any simple humans.
Don't let a lack of experience with the films, or general leprechaun lore discourage you from picking this one up. Each chapter is like a suspenseful scene in any good slasher flick. The humor, the mostly unbelievable situations in which one questions what is happening, how so and so isn't dead, etc., it's all here. The references to rules of leprechaun magic are here, and by the end, you're left feeling like you've seen all the films in the series. For fans of troma-esque b-movie horror, a well constructed parody, or just Little bearded guys in green tights, I would definitely recommend giving this novel a shot.
February 9, 2015
Lep in the Hood, come to do no good!!! Yes I am a fan of the Leprechaun movies, and thought that this book would be right up my ally. It was. There is on one hand a solid horror story here, complete with gore, supernatural horror, and violence. On the other hand, it is a highly satirical work that blends the universe of the Leprechaun films with real life, and the life that happens within the confines of this troupe putting on a musical homage to a horror movie. A horror movie that is rather cheesy and horrible by many standards, but loved by many as well. It is impossible for me to tell which writer wrote what, as they work expertly together to make this bizarroesque story come to life. A very enjoyable foray into the world of the absurd.
January 4, 2015
What more could you ask for? Leprechauns? Check. Blood and guts? Check. Sexy zombie fly girls battling zombie cops while a leprechaun battle raps a balding middle aged narcissistic playwright? Check. Awesome through and through. If you're all about a good read, that plays on c movie corn ball antics, and humor, this is for you. A fun book, and a quick read.
March 19, 2015
An absolute blast! These gentleman know the genre and the Leprechaun franchise extremely well. The book is hilarious, gory, and full of over the top B movie fun. It made me want to revisit this hellacious franchise, but I know the films aren't half as imaginative and delightful as this yarn. Well-done, quick, and enjoyable. Genre fans should give this a read, it's well worth it!
June 24, 2015
This book was everything I had hoped it would be! A gory, campy joyride so very much like the movies. I found myself giggling, shuddering, and shaking my head and I couldn't be happier with the ending if I tried! Definitely a fun book to read, very well written.
November 16, 2014
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Tim Potter- Dr. Horror, Ph.D
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Tim Potter- Dr. Horror, Ph.D
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April 12, 2021
Brilliant novel. The title explains it all.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews