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Encore
Robin loves his job. Living at The Majestic Cinema, his uncle's movie theatre in the heart of Launceston, means endless free movies and a lifelong career. Even the lonely nights seem to be over when he meets a budding actress, the vivaciously romantic Evelyn.
But the Majestic has a secret, sordid past that refuses to be forgotten. On one terrifying night, Robin and his friends discover a debt must be paid - a reprisal of blood, fire and death.
A night at the movies - who will survive?
But the Majestic has a secret, sordid past that refuses to be forgotten. On one terrifying night, Robin and his friends discover a debt must be paid - a reprisal of blood, fire and death.
A night at the movies - who will survive?
156 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2022
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Zane Pinner
9 books24 followersZane Pinner is a writer and artist from Tasmania, Australia. He likes playing guitar, swimming in the ocean and watching his family grow. He has worked in the screen industry for over twenty years and is currently a producer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 17, 2022
Robin is a young man with ambitions of one day owning the theater that belongs to his Uncle David. He has spent years at the theater, either as a patron or employee, and knows the theater well. Or, it would turn out, not as well as he thought he did. While Robin understands that there is something unusual going on in the theater with strange noises and ethereal sightings, he tries to convince himself that it’s actually nothing. Just a trick of the eye or imagination at work. Then one day the scares get a little too realistic, and Robin and his friends are soon trapped inside of a theater haunted by ghosts hungry for blood.
One would think with a haunted theater, what could go wrong? Well, in Robin’s case, plenty definitely could go wrong. Robin got used to the strange noises, the whispers, the sound of a woman crying, and seeing someone there one minute, then gone the next. Living in a haunted theater is something Robin has grown so accustomed to that he couldn’t imagine anything getting much worse than the mild haunts he has experienced. The problem is that Robin never took these harmless haunts very seriously. He understands that they are happening and that they are real, but not much else is done about them. And you know what happens when you let a bad situation continue: it will only get worse.
When I began reading this novel, one thing I wondered was what sort of things would happen in a haunted theater. This story answered that question so well. I have read about actual haunted theaters and those stories involved ghostly sightings on the stage or long-dead ghostly employees haunting the auditorium. There is that, and more, in this story, for, you see, it’s more than just an average haunting. Something from the past, which readers will be aware of by reading the book’s Prologue, is clinging to this particular theater—and for good reason. Robin thinks he knows the theater like the back of his hand, but he is in for a surprise when he discovers a secret area of the theater which holds more haunts and horrors than he has ever seen in his life. All the haunts taking place in this story are not “set up”; they happen naturally and at moments you would least expect. I was also impressed with the “virtual tour” of the theater which Robin gives to Evelyn, his love interest in the story.
“Encore” by Zane Pinner is a gripping, chilling novel that had me turning the pages from the very beginning. Pinner weaves a terrifying story of a haunted theater that refuses to let go of the past. Things go from scary to terrifying really fast, and the characters running for their lives from the horrors chasing after them kept me breathless and on the edge of my seat. There were bits of humor in the story, which did well to ease the tension, and the scary scenes were realistically terrifying without going too far.
This story was unlike many other ghost stories I have read. What made it different was that the ghosts’ past roles exist so strongly in the hauntings that it is as though the person never died at all. In Hollywood, the saying “the show must go on” is the driving force behind every good actor and actress continuing to act despite minor inconveniences like cold, a sprained ankle or a broken arm. That saying applies to these ghosts as well; they were actors in their own shows that took place a very long time ago and, even in death, “the show must go on” and they resume acting their roles. One ghost even tells Robin to “start the show” even though Robin doesn’t understand what show the ghost is referring to.
Reading about the mechanics and some history of theater gave me the impression that the author of this book really knows his stuff. I started to wonder if he worked in a theater or tagged along with a theater employee to research this book. Then I learned that he worked in television before writing this book, and that was the “aha!” moment.
I enjoyed reading this novel. The horror is not overdone and the scenes were realistic. It’s a good horror novel and I would recommend “Encore” by Zane Pinner to readers who enjoy a good ghost story. Read this novel if you dare – just make sure you read it with the lights on!
One would think with a haunted theater, what could go wrong? Well, in Robin’s case, plenty definitely could go wrong. Robin got used to the strange noises, the whispers, the sound of a woman crying, and seeing someone there one minute, then gone the next. Living in a haunted theater is something Robin has grown so accustomed to that he couldn’t imagine anything getting much worse than the mild haunts he has experienced. The problem is that Robin never took these harmless haunts very seriously. He understands that they are happening and that they are real, but not much else is done about them. And you know what happens when you let a bad situation continue: it will only get worse.
When I began reading this novel, one thing I wondered was what sort of things would happen in a haunted theater. This story answered that question so well. I have read about actual haunted theaters and those stories involved ghostly sightings on the stage or long-dead ghostly employees haunting the auditorium. There is that, and more, in this story, for, you see, it’s more than just an average haunting. Something from the past, which readers will be aware of by reading the book’s Prologue, is clinging to this particular theater—and for good reason. Robin thinks he knows the theater like the back of his hand, but he is in for a surprise when he discovers a secret area of the theater which holds more haunts and horrors than he has ever seen in his life. All the haunts taking place in this story are not “set up”; they happen naturally and at moments you would least expect. I was also impressed with the “virtual tour” of the theater which Robin gives to Evelyn, his love interest in the story.
“Encore” by Zane Pinner is a gripping, chilling novel that had me turning the pages from the very beginning. Pinner weaves a terrifying story of a haunted theater that refuses to let go of the past. Things go from scary to terrifying really fast, and the characters running for their lives from the horrors chasing after them kept me breathless and on the edge of my seat. There were bits of humor in the story, which did well to ease the tension, and the scary scenes were realistically terrifying without going too far.
This story was unlike many other ghost stories I have read. What made it different was that the ghosts’ past roles exist so strongly in the hauntings that it is as though the person never died at all. In Hollywood, the saying “the show must go on” is the driving force behind every good actor and actress continuing to act despite minor inconveniences like cold, a sprained ankle or a broken arm. That saying applies to these ghosts as well; they were actors in their own shows that took place a very long time ago and, even in death, “the show must go on” and they resume acting their roles. One ghost even tells Robin to “start the show” even though Robin doesn’t understand what show the ghost is referring to.
Reading about the mechanics and some history of theater gave me the impression that the author of this book really knows his stuff. I started to wonder if he worked in a theater or tagged along with a theater employee to research this book. Then I learned that he worked in television before writing this book, and that was the “aha!” moment.
I enjoyed reading this novel. The horror is not overdone and the scenes were realistic. It’s a good horror novel and I would recommend “Encore” by Zane Pinner to readers who enjoy a good ghost story. Read this novel if you dare – just make sure you read it with the lights on!
December 27, 2024
I couldn’t put this book down! I didn't know it was going to be a ghost story/mild horror (which isn't my go to genre) but this story had me hooked from start to finish.
Maybe it was the nostalgia, having worked at a cinema myself, I loved how the author captured that experience so well.
But it was the writing. The characters were well-developed, even in the short format, and the suspenseful writing kept me on edge and wanting more. I’m definitely excited to read more from this author, and won't start the next one at night this time!
Maybe it was the nostalgia, having worked at a cinema myself, I loved how the author captured that experience so well.
But it was the writing. The characters were well-developed, even in the short format, and the suspenseful writing kept me on edge and wanting more. I’m definitely excited to read more from this author, and won't start the next one at night this time!
May 6, 2024
A spooky read, not my best choice to read before bed 😂 well written, and well paced. Interesting info about cinemas, and the characters had enough to the for such a short book. I liked the ending, but a little more info about the past characters would have been good (like why they were trapped, but it was fairly well implied).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews