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Big Rock Beat
It's 1967, the summer of love, ten years after legendary B-movie director Landis Woodley's cult horror classic Cadaver. Now Woodley is shooting a rock and roll movie, complete with beach bunnies, hot rods, monsters and rock bands.
But as usual, money is tight.
Producer Sol Kravitz introduces Woodley to Tijuana financier Hector Diablo, who invests a huge amount of money in the movie with the proviso that James Dean's death car, which he has rebuilt and names The Impresser, have a starring role.
But something else is attached to this movie that's not in the script. Sol is the first to die. Then others. And the payback's a bitch.
But as usual, money is tight.
Producer Sol Kravitz introduces Woodley to Tijuana financier Hector Diablo, who invests a huge amount of money in the movie with the proviso that James Dean's death car, which he has rebuilt and names The Impresser, have a starring role.
But something else is attached to this movie that's not in the script. Sol is the first to die. Then others. And the payback's a bitch.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
4 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Greg Kihn
15 books39 followersRock radio DJ, rock musician, songwriter, screenwriter, and novelist. Kihn is known as the pioneer of the rock thriller genre.
Kihn’s first novel, Horror Show, was a nominee for the 1997 Bram Stoker Award. Big Rock Beat is the sequel, and Mojo Hand is the sequel to Big Rock Beat.
In the early 1980’s The Greg Kihn Band had a top 20 Billboard hit with “The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)” and a top 10 Billboard hit “Jeopardy”. The music video for “Jeopardy” was a MTV favorite and showed his fascination with rock n’ roll and zany horror.
Kihn’s first novel, Horror Show, was a nominee for the 1997 Bram Stoker Award. Big Rock Beat is the sequel, and Mojo Hand is the sequel to Big Rock Beat.
In the early 1980’s The Greg Kihn Band had a top 20 Billboard hit with “The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)” and a top 10 Billboard hit “Jeopardy”. The music video for “Jeopardy” was a MTV favorite and showed his fascination with rock n’ roll and zany horror.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 6, 2012
A fun and fast-paced sort-of sequel to HORROR SHOW, this is another salute to B movies and rock'n'roll. It's not great literature, but boy-howdy is it a lot of fun! As much as I know I should, I absolutely can not resist saying: "They don't write 'em like that anymore."
February 26, 2021
Once again, Greg Kihn does a great job catching the feel of a time and place. In this sequel to Horror Show, a decade has passed and the world lies on the cusp of the Summer of Love. Several of the characters from Horror Show reappear as a new rock 'n' roll movie is being cranked out by some of the folks who brought us Cadaver back in 1957. Big Rock Beat is the movie and it has it all, Frankie and Annette type beach kids, a 31 year old actor playing a teenager, an ancient character actor 30 years past his prime, a bosomy sex kitten ala Mamie van Doren/Jayne Mansfield, a drag race, and a fistful of one hit wonders and never weres as the bands. Add in an ingenue, a soulful Hippie guitarist, a shifty record executive, a cursed sports car, a Mexican gangster with a mysterious agenda and his gentleman mobster nephew and you've got yourself one heckuva a cast. All of these and many more are in place when people involved with the movie start dying.
The threat this time struck me as a little less dire than the one Horror Show,. That one threatened the world, the stakes here are smaller, but more personal. Once again, I was swept along by the writing. It just pulls you along. Overall, a very worthy follow up to Horror Show. Read Horror Show. If you like it, read Big Rock Beat.
The threat this time struck me as a little less dire than the one Horror Show,. That one threatened the world, the stakes here are smaller, but more personal. Once again, I was swept along by the writing. It just pulls you along. Overall, a very worthy follow up to Horror Show. Read Horror Show. If you like it, read Big Rock Beat.
June 28, 2010
Another book in my trend of noir-especially LA noir. This one is good, quirky and a good time. The the time and place (LA and San Fran late 60's) features pretty heavily and you really get get a sense of setting. Pretty good read all the way around.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews