HellBound Times

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011 Film)

2012-03-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

Watched Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) written by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and directed by comic book artist Troy Nixey (Jenny Finn, Doom Messiah TP).
*spoilers*
Del Toro's story is a remake of the 1973 ABC made-for-television horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, which has become a huge cult classic starring Kim Darby (Better Off Dead, 1985). In this updated version, Guy Pearce (The Time Machine, Memento), Katie Holmes (Disturbing Behavior, Batman Begins) and Bailee Madison (Bridge To Terabithia) experience the terror of demonic creatures infesting the home they're staying in. Personally, I've seen only a few minutes of the original, but I know there's more than a few differences between the two movies. Bailee Madison is an amazing child actress (like her in everything I've seen), and I always thought she could play a relative of Katie Holmes, but ironically they have her character here unrelated even though they look so much alike. Del Toro seemed to use the tooth fairies (or something very similar) from Hellboy II: The Golden Army as the nasties that emerge from a sealed ash pit in the basement of the house. That, for me, was a bit of a letdown. The backstory was also a tad Hellboyish. The scenery is incredible and the action moves at a smart pace, but overall it's a mediocre tale.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin

HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

Dime Detective by Randy Chandler

2012-02-27T14:38:00.003-05:00

*Possible spoilers*

Admit it. You prefer your dicks hardboiled. Nothing wrong with that, particularly considering the rich literary and cinematic history of the American noir thriller, so-called 'tough guy' crime fiction told in the finest hardboiled tradition. This engaging style was said to be first pioneered in the mid-1920's by Carroll John Daly, popularized by Dashiell Hammett and then polished (some say perfected) by Raymond Chandler in the '30's. From there, the literary style has endured and sometimes flourished, utilized to often great effect by such writers as Mickey Spillane, John D. MacDonald, Robert B. Parker, Sue Grafton and Walter Mosley, among myriad others, each embellishing and putting their own unique, personal imprints upon the genre.

Film quickly followed suit, exploiting the popularity of Hammett's Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon) and Chandler's Phillip Marlowe (The Big Sleep). TV chimed in with Darren McGavin in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn, David Janssen's Richard Diamond, Private Eye, James Garner's The Rockford Files, among many, many others. My earliest exposure to the genre was courtesy of Richard Diamond, then McGavin's flawed everyman turns in Crime Photographer, Mike Hammer, and The Outsider, and MacDonald's addictive Travis McGee series. While authors and filmmakers and television producers have tinkered with the formula over the years, resulting in varying degrees of success, the basic foundation--and certainly the heart and spirit--of the hardboiled detective story survives and thrives.

To find a wonderful example of hardboiled detective noir today, you need not look any further than Randy Chandler's latest novel Dime Detective (published by Comet Press, release date April 30). Set in the late 1950's in the sleepy, small north Florida town of Dodd City, the novel tells the story of protagonist Joe Dall, ex-combat Marine, ex-insurance salesman, ex-husband, semi-skidding as a live-in bouncer at the run-down bar owned by his heart-of-gold, last-friend-left Dot. When Joe's ex-wife is brutally murdered, he is initially the suspect, but is quickly exonerated by, of all people, his wealthy, powerful ex-father-in-law, who'd had a seedy PI shading Joe. Joe is quickly pressed into service (and himself set up as a private dick) by his ex-father-in-law to find the murderer of his daughter, Joe's ex. With the erstwhile assistance of his friend Dot (a detective magazine devotee) and his ex's luscious, feisty redhead friend Val, Joe begins peeling away the layers of his ex-wife's secret life, leading him to unexpected and increasingly dangerous encounters with an exiled Hollywood former movie queen, her Tor Johnson-like associate, gruff local cops who have it in for him, a possibly dangerous fellow employee, and a ruthlessly evil Cuban hoodoo man who is hellbent on "destroying Joe's world."

Comet Press continues to impress with a sturdy, attractive product. The interior layout is clean, easy to read and without unnecessary frills. My review copy was a trade-sized early proof and there were a few scattered typos and other minor errors, but I'm certain these will not survive the release edition. Arthur Suydam's provocative cover art is absolutely brilliant, updated and current, but could've easily been the painting from a 30's-40's edition of Dime Detective Magazine.

This novel is a bit of a departure from Randy Chandler's work of late, which includes his gritty horror novel Daemon of the Dark Wood and a number of bravura appearances in Comet Press's well-received horror and dark crime anthologies. Dime Detective is both an homage and a love letter to the genre, but in many ways, an interesting and original departure. I initially thought Chandler's choice to tell the story in the third person would be problematic, but in retrospect, it was the correct decision. A more restrictive first person narrative wouldn't have allowed Chandler to slip seamlessly from the clever patter-style dialogue to his evocatively descriptive prose. Chandler's choice of setting--late 50's small-town Florida--is an engaging one as well, and he exploits it to full advantage, painting a detailed and quite accurate (yeah, I checked...I'm that guy) portrait of the locale and era, giving clever nods to Elvis, Fats Domino, Rock Hudson, Bogart and even Elmore Leonard. His subtle and intriguing takes on the period's state of morality, race relations, sexuality and even pop culture reminded me somewhat of John D. MacDonald, and manages to capture the late 50's in a fascinating time capsule, dovetailing nicely with the storyline. As always, Chandler creates living, breathing characters, using small, inventive details to avoid stereotyping even the most minor players. I was half-expecting a slightly more tangled skein for the ending (in the tradition of The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown), but the denouement is certainly violent and bloody--and satisfying. The epilogue was just a little pat for me, but hints at the possibility of further adventures for Joe Dall and his friends. And that would be great news for fans of hardboiled detectives, dark noir and very solid storytelling.

More of Chandler's work may be found at Amazon's Randy Chandler Page.
Also check out Amazon's Arthur Suydam Page.

Review by Walt Hicks

April Fool's Day (1986 film)

2012-02-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

Watched April Fool's Day (1986), a horror/dark comedy released by Paramount Pictures, though filmed in British Columbia, Canada.
*spoilers*
In a decade brimming with slasher films, April Fool's Day was a fun, original idea. It's loaded with B-list actors popular with fans of that time period, especially horror fans. There's Deborah Foreman (Valley Girl), Deborah Goodrich (Just One of the Guys), Ken Olandt (Leprechaun), Thomas F. Wilson (Back to the Future), Amy Steel (Friday the 13th, Part 2), Clayton Rohner (Just One of the Guys, Coronado), whom I met at a horror convention. Muffy St. John (Foreman) invites a group of college friends to celebrate Spring Break by spending the weekend at her family's island mansion on the days before April Fools' Day. Someone is killing them off. Someone with something to prove. There's a great emotionally-charged ending you just can't miss.

3 stars out of 5.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin

HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

The Bad Seed (1956 Film)

2012-02-18T11:27:00.002-05:00

Watched The Bad Seed (1956), a horror/thriller. This b&w psychological scarefest is is based upon a play that’s based upon William March's 1954 novel of the same name.
*spoilers*
Actress Patty McCormack (Mommy, Mommy II: Mommy's Day) plays cute blue-eyed blond-pigtailed Rhoda Penmark, an eight-year-old (?) who is delightfully well-mannered and equally wicked, of course the latter is reserved for those who stand in the way of anything this little girl terror wants. Kids and adults beware. Rhoda is a serial murderer, and the film speculates that the origin of her having no conscience is genetic. For a 1956 movie, The Bad Seed is strikingly forward-thinking. I loved the characters and modernistic script. I liked one theory which suggests a mind without conscience is a primitive state (developing) of man's early brain. You know, way before advanced minds like Snooki and Kim K's (hehe). Perhaps my favorite moments are the back-and-forth lines between the little girl and the janitor, LeRoy (Henry Jones), particularly the very second he realizes what she REALLY is capable of. Nancy Kelly (The Woman Who Came Back) plays Christine, Rhoda’s mother, and she performs superbly as a woman who’s emotionally ragged and afraid. You’ll find horror and secrets, moral challenges and scientific explanations, though it runs a little long at 129 minutes. At the end of the credits there’s a decade reminder that has Nancy Kelly delivering a spanking to Patty McCormack in a playful way, because the audiences of 1956 needed something to lighten up the disturbing images they’d just watched. In fact, the Motion Picture Production Code at that time changed the ending of the film.

4 stars out of 5.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin

HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

Rough Music by Simon Kurt Unsworth

2012-02-13T15:42:00.003-05:00

Spectral Press has certainly laid the groundwork for the proverbial "tough act to follow" with their first four limited chapbook releases, including offerings from Gary McMahon, Gary Fry, Cate Gardner and Paul Finch. Each of these four have been diverse, extremely well-written examples of literary 'quiet horror.'

The fifth in this substantial chapbook series is "Rough Music" by Simon Kurt Unsworth. Here we are introduced to Cornish, a rather controlling chap who insists on having the upper hand in his life, whether it be with his wife, his mistress, his temperment, his sleep, even his bladder. Imagine his utter disdain at being constantly awakened at night by--at first--a solitary marionette-ish pan-drummer with an enormous papier-mâché head outside his dwelling (in a grassy area called The Green), and then his increasing outrage at not being about to stop the racket. As the sleepless nights mount, the sole drummer is joined by others, and the 'rough music'--as well as Cornish's unease and anger--increase exponentially. Never mind that no one else seems to hear the unholy din or see the ersatz band.

As with the first four Spectral offerings, the layout is excellent, easily readable, exceptionally edited. The Neil Williams cover layout is interesting and certainly appropriate for the content. And, as of this writing, this limited edition has already sold through.

Unsworth has a very good, approachable style and he builds tension slowly, cleverly and with razor-sharp purpose. He also uses character development and detail well here, making the reader see him or herself in even a somewhat churlish character like Cornish. The masked players never physically threaten Cornish, which somehow makes his plight even more terrifying. While Cornish might deny it externally, guilt is one of the most powerful and unswerving motivators of human emotion. The results can be devastating, life-altering. The universality of this truth makes this story and it's denouement quite jarring--and all too real.

Another wonderful addition to Spectral's impressive line-up.

Review by Walt Hicks

Dark Light, anthology edited by Carl Hose

2012-02-13T11:14:00.009-05:00

Carl Hose and MARLvision Publishing have announced a tentative line-up for the upcoming charity (Ronald McDonald House) anthology, entitled Dark Light:

William Todd Rose
Ray Garton
Wrath James White
Tim Curran
John Shirley
Debbie Kuhn
Randy Chandler
Walt Hicks
Terry HORNS Erwin
Tim Waggoner
Stephen Graham Jones
James Roy Daley
Gary McMahon
Stephen Volk
Robert Essig
Steve Rasnic Tem
Kody Boye
Gary Fry
Tim Lebbon
Nancy Kilpatrick
Alex Bledsoe
Christopher Fulbright
William Cook
John Grover
Steve Voelker
Timothy Maxon
Frank Larnerd (Sebaston Milam)
Joe McKinney
Jeffrey Thomas
Lisa Morton
Mark West

Cover art, TOC and further details as they become available.

Reported by Walt Hicks

Devil Tree by Steve Vernon

2012-01-31T13:35:00.008-05:00

Anyone familiar with the wildly imaginative funhouse ride through the Old West called Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Steve Vernon is probably already a fan of this self-described 'campfire storyteller'. His inspired forays into the dark, darker, darkest side of the human experience are cleverly punctuated by pitch black humor, well-developed characters, stimulating dialog and above all, superlative storytelling.

In Devil Tree (Crossroad Press, 2011), Vernon strands his characters (and the reader) in the middle of an eerie, superstitious nineteenth century Canadian forest wilderness. After a slow building chill in the prologue and a clever introduction to the titular tree, the so-called Jack Pine, Vernon begins the story in earnest, introducing ex-preacher Lucas Sawyer and wife Tamsen, a couple seeking a new life in the unforgiving wilderness. After very nearly perishing in a harrowing rafting accident, the pair is saved by laconic woodsman Jonah Duvall, who, along with his wife Jezebel nurse the pair back to something resembling health, and 'help' them survive the merciless valley they now call home. Despite their seemingly altruistic behavior, the Duvall's and the valley are not exactly what they seem--neither their motives nor the sinister tree seeming to control all within its merciless purview. From here, Vernon slowly, excruciatingly peels the tattered skin from this corrupt onion until the frenzied, stunning denouement and an extremely creepy and fitting epilogue.

Crossroad Press began releasing a number of Vernon titles in e-book format in 2011, including Devil Tree. The version this reviewer read was very well laid out, easy to read and exceptionally proofed by David Dodd, who also designed the evocative cover art (part of which, we are told, was provided by AshenSorrow at deviantart.com).

Vernon has been writing for quite some time and it shows. While his near-legendary wicked sense of humor is somewhat muted in Devil Tree, Vernon infuses this offering with an uncanny depth of character, originality, and a building strangle of terror that is often lacking in much of today's dark fiction. His voice is unique and wonderfully textured, his descriptive prose spot-on and ruthlessly scary. Campfire storyteller? This tale might send Ol' Scratch himself running from the woods. Devil Tree is one of those stories that burrows under your skin, crawls into your mind and lingers--brilliantly.

For more of his work, see Steve Vernon's Amazon Page.

Review by Walt Hicks

Hell on Wheels (AMC TV)

2012-01-19T15:02:00.014-05:00

Born in the South and raised in the cradle of the Civil War (Charleston, SC), I suppose it was only inevitable that as a young man, I became somewhat obsessed with the pre-during-and post years of what many in the South still refer to as "the War of Northern Aggression." Of course, modern education of the day sugar-coated the horrific violence of war and media often romanticized and glorified the short but painful era. My youthful exuberance bought into this ideology somewhat, until I stumbled across a ragged copy of Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War, edition date somewhere in the neighborhood of the early 1900's. Compiled shortly after the War, Harper's is an unflinching, unbiased eye on the times, without the clouding history often enshrouds matters of great sociological significance. This impressive tome contains not only the photographic journal, but writings, thoughts and musings of actual participants transcribed in letters and dispatches, without the secondary influence or interpretation of modern authors. It certainly changed my way of looking at a troubled, evolutionary era in U. S. history. Much later, The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns would also strip away much of the time-tinged, folksy facade, but still managed an almost wistful nostalgia.

Please tell me you're NOT using a conditioner.

Now from the network that brought us Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Walking Dead and other quality programming, AMC offers up Hell on Wheels, a Joe and Tony Gayton (co-writers, Faster)-created drama set in 1865 chronicling the westward expansion of the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad and the deep wounds the Civil War inflicted on a battered and slow-to-heal nation, from the point of view of the small titular settlement. Moments into the pilot episode, former Confederate soldier and slave owner Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount, Straw Dogs) posing as a priest, shoots a Union soldier dead in a confessional. From there, the rest of the major players are carefully introduced: shady entrepreneurial railroad man Thomas "Doc" Durant (Colm Meaney, Star Trek: The Next Generation); former slave Elam Ferguson (Common, Terminator Salvation); Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott, Blackthorn), strong-willed widow of a man sent to survey for the railroad; Reverend Nathan Cole (Tom Noonan, The House of the Devil), a priest with internal demons trying to walk a path of peace; Joseph Black Moon (Eddie Spears, Comanche Moon), a young Native American embracing Christianity at odds with his own heritage; and the Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl, Sanctuary) Durant's ruthless head of security.

This gritty show, beautifully shot in Calgary and Alberta, Canada, is truly a bleak western at face value, but beneath the surface, it never blinks away the opportunity to exhibit human behavior at its best and worst: blind revenge, heartless violence, limitless greed, hateful prejudice--and yet, there's also slowly-developing trust, acceptance, and the often elegant will to survive. Even if his teeth are impossibly straight and dazzlingly Hollywood white, Anson Mount makes for a great lead: square of jaw, clear of eye (when sober), severely damaged, and initially, morally ambiguous. Character development is superlative and the cast is spot-on, with particular kudos to the outstanding Common, Noonan and Heyerdahl. The storytelling is also well-conceived, although the pilot would've been much more effective as a two-hour premiere. The first hour was slightly diffuse, but the second hour blended everything perfectly. The ten-episode first season recently concluded with a number of suspenseful cliff-hangers among the well-developed lead characters.

This show has everything one could hope to ask for in a drama: realistic, well-defined characters, great acting, breath-taking scenery, well-staged action pieces, explosive violence, meaningful conflict, even flashes of wicked, dark humor. Tellingly, the social issues addressed in Hell on Wheels are even more profound and relevant today than in 1865.

Review by Walt Hicks

See No Evil (2006 Film)

2012-01-17T12:32:00.001-05:00

Watched See No Evil (2006), a horror film produced by WWE Films. It stars pro wrestler Kane (WWE: The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane) in a Jason Voorhees type of role. *spoilers* Kane, killer Jacob Goodnight, has been hidden in a rotting hotel with the help of his religious looney mother (Cecily Polson, The Clinic). Told all his life to see the sin in a person's eyes, he's become a murderous monster. The story revolves around the mommy getting back at the cop (Steven Vidler, In Her Skin) who hurt her monster son years ago. The criminal young people (Craig Horner, Legend of the Seeker; Christina Vidal, Magic Man; Rachel Taylor, Man-Thing, Transformers, Shutter) who've been trapped in this secret revenge plot are worthless unsympathetic characters. I couldn't have cared less when each one died. See No Evil should be commended for its brutal kill scenes. Kane brings his wrestling experience to the table. There's no mercy here. Other than the savage deaths, See No Evil fails to entertain. 2 stars.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin

HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

Dirt (FX Network 2007-2008)

2012-01-12T14:57:00.008-05:00

You'd think that the exploration of journalism (print and otherwise) would be a fairly safe bet for a television series...after all, there's the sublime drama of seeking the 'truth', the constant battle between accuracy of story versus timeliness of deadlines, a great variety of topics to mine, where "ripped from the headlines" becomes more than just a tag line. This iconic setting has performed moderately well to exceptionally in film: Absence of Malice, Ace in the Hole, All the President's Men, The Paper, The Front Page, I Love Trouble, The Mean Season, and State of Play come to mind. It should be noted that most of these, aside from the flawed if somewhat fun latter flick were, significantly, pre-2000 releases.

Television has fared far, far worse in its depiction of journalism, particularly the now slowly dying newspaper biz. Perhaps the only really successful episodic TV show in this genre was Lou Grant, whose five-year run garnered numerous awards and accolades after tackling most of the day's current social issues. A few others, some critically well-received, but not particularly well-watched, include Early Edition, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Lois & Clark, Chronicle, Ink and Deadline. Most of these shows only lasted a season or two. The more successful used journalism as a faint backdrop or convenient prop.

A few years after her mega-successful stint on Friends, Courteney Cox, along with husband David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks, Scream series) formed a production company (cleverly called Coquette) and executive produced a new series called Dirt, starring Cox as Lucy Spiller, the relentlessly obsessed editor of the slick Now magazine as well as the trashy Dirt tabloid (at the end of season one, Lucy is forced to merge the two into DirtNow, because of economic reasons--sound familiar?) Aided by the only person she trusts, schizophrenic photog Don Konkey (Ian Hart, Finding Neverland, in a brilliantly nuanced performance), a driven Lucy remorselessly chases the newsworthy regarding celebrities and celebrity wannabes, scarcely noticing (much less caring about) the destruction and upended lives she leaves in her wake. The thirteen episode first season fleshed out the main characters, producing a juicy story arc with a multitude of subplots leaving Lucy to choke on the poisoned fruits of her labors, while stubbornly ordering paparazzo Don to snap pictures of the mess.

Um, Court...do you
really know where
that's been?!?

A writer's strike caused the disruption of the second season, and as with most series dependent upon story arcs, this probably irreparably damaged the viewership. FX blasted the airwaves with promotional ads, but then moved it to a television graveyard slot of 10 pm on Sunday. Whether it was the strike, FX's ham-handed mishandling of the show, or the fact that viewers didn't want to see cute, neurotic 'Monica' of Friends being so deliciously deviant, the show ended its run in April 2008 after 20 episodes.

Dirt was undoubtedly one of the guiltiest of guilty pleasures around and probably an enormous risk for Cox and Arquette. It's also definitely worth a view because of its wickedly subversive perspective and scandalous mocking of pop culture. Celebrity, sex and sleaze, and our cultures' obsessive addictions to them go under a scathing microscope as well as those who publicize the stories. Of course there's also the first season finale, in which Cox and former Friends castmate Jennifer Aniston share an ironically chaste kiss. I would recommend a rental of seasons one and two, unless you are also an obsessed Courteney fan or a collector of complete one or two season failed TV shows. (Once upon a time, the latter: Guilty.)

Review by Walt Hicks

Also recommended: American Gothic - the Complete Series

Daemon of the Dark Wood by Randy Chandler

2012-01-05T12:45:00.011-05:00

It's hard to believe that almost exactly a decade ago I was searching high and low for that perfect first novel for HellBound Books Publishing. Looking for something original with a fresh voice, but also a real page-turner, I sifted through over a hundred 'first three chapter/synopsis' packages, many quite well-written, most of them starring ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other auld beasties; the vast majority showcasing hordes of vampires in every conceivable shape, stripe and configuration. One day, I opened an e-mail, quickly buzzed through the cover note, started the chapters, and ... wait. I think I may have something here. Quickly followed by: How the hell is this NOT published already? I immediately fired off an e-mail request for the complete manuscript. Within a few days time, I knew I had that elusive first novel for HellBound: Bad Juju by Randy Chandler.

Chandler's latest, long-awaited novel Daemon of the Dark Wood (available Feb. 29, 2012 from Comet Press) treads somewhat familiar, even hallowed ground for aficionados of horror fiction, recounting the tale of bucolic North Georgia small towns Dogwood and Widow's Ridge under a sudden and unexpected assault from the titular evil. As women begin to succumb to a wild and relentless screech from the dark woods, disappearing into the clutches of a powerful demi-god/man-beast, Deputy Rob Rourke, psychiatrist Trey Knott and anthropology professor Alfred Thorn are reluctantly drawn into the madness, cobbling together clues along the way to the stunning and violent denouement. Alternately, elderly widow Liza Leatherwood (who knows the truth behind the creature and the mysterious Helling) and solitary mountain wanderer Asa Edgar provide additional back story and fill in some of the missing pieces.

As I have noted before, Comet Press puts out an impressive, sensibly-priced product. Although this reviewer is still not a fan of the trade-sized paperback, this is one sturdy, quality book, with a well-laid out, easy to read interior, featuring some nice, thoughtful details. There were a small number of typos throughout, but the version I read was an early proof, so these will likely vanish from the final product. The Daniele Serra cover art is subtle, evocative and perfect for the novel. As anyone who has fought the small press wars knows, cover art often darkens a couple shades at the printers, so the title lettering might have benefited somewhat from a fine white outline or pale shading behind it...admittedly, a somewhat trivial detail.

If the devil is truly in the details then Chandler is a Practiced Master of the Dark Literary Arts. He liberally sprinkles his writing with a multitude of small, finely-cut prose-gems, effectively using them to color definitive shadings of character, enhance ambiance, evoke foreshadowing, even advance plot lines. No doubt, this novel is a "creature-feature" page-turner in the finest tradition, but as with all of Chandler's writing, read a little deeper and you find an austere, knowing treatise on the human condition. Chandler's examination of character is outstanding as well; the widow Leatherwood and hillside wanderer Edgar are both particularly well-drawn. You not only get into their heads, but Chandler makes you wear their skins and feel their heartache, loneliness and sheer dread and terror. Occasionally wandering to the lavender side of purple, Chandler's prose is typically thoughtfully wrought, at turns achingly beautiful when describing the picturesque North Georgia landscape then almost lyrically brutal in the numerous episodes of graphic violence and sex. In a slow, suspenseful burn, Chandler cleverly juxtapositions elements from the Civil War, local superstition and lore (effectively being homogenized into obsolescence by the inevitable march of technology, communications and the cult of personality), and the terrifying gods of ancient mythology. Add in a canny take on the psychology of those disparate elements merged and you are led to the gory finale. Scrape off the frighteningly thin patina of 'civilization' from the human animal and you might just have the Helling, or something horrifyingly like it. Then demigods and humans alike will dance naked and blood-smeared in the resulting primordial firelight.

Fans of Chandler's work will be extremely happy to learn that Bad Juju has been re-released in e-book format from Acid Grave Press and his novel Dime Detective is coming soon from Comet Press. You can find more of his work at Randy Chandler's Amazon Page.

Review by Walt Hicks

Conan the Barbarian (2011 Film)

2011-12-29T11:41:00.003-05:00

Watched Conan the Barbarian (2011). *spoilers* Touted as a new interpretation of the Conan mythology, this version ~ in my humblest movie-addict's opinion ~ doesn't make the grade. The first part of the film is the best. Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Beauty and the Beast, I Sell the Dead, Outlander, Sons of Anarchy--what hasn't he been in!?) playing Conan's daddy and Leo Howard (Logan) playing young Conan make entertaining moments. Love the scene when young Conan single-handedly kills the forces of Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang: Terra Nova, Avatar) that have encircled him. Once the film shifts from young Conan to the adult Conan played by Jason Momoa (Stargate Atlantis), I lost interest not long after that. Momoa as Conan doesn't have the magic Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Expendables, Terminator Collection) brought to the character, maybe just (smaller) more-cut abs. The story itself is mediocre. This version's secondary characters are unimpressive all the way around. Rose McGowan (Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror, Dead Awake) as Zym's daughter, the sorceress Marique, is probably the best thing in this contemporary Conan tale. She performs wickedly great. 2 stars.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin

HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

American Horror Story (FX Network)

2011-12-22T12:37:00.028-05:00

If someone had told me that the co-creators of Nip/Tuck (Ryan Murphy) and Glee (Brad Falchuk) were going to rejoin forces, creating a episodic horror television program, I might've advised them to spend a little more time in a room with mattresses on the walls and floors, clothed in an extra-long-sleeved jacket. And yet, here we have American Horror Story, recently wrapping its wild twelve-episode first season run. The pilot episode starts off in 1978 with a pair of The Shining-esque twins, being warned not to enter the forlorn looking Victorian "murderhouse" by young neighbor Addie, who has Down's Syndrome. Naturally, the twins enter the house and meet an untimely and gruesome end, after introducing the viewer to the interior--particularly the basement--of the haunted house. Flash forward to the present, as psychiatrist Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott, The Messengers) relocates wife Vivian (Connie Britton, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010) and daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga, Higher Ground) from Boston to Los Angeles following Ben's infidelity with one of his students, and Vivian's giving birth to a stillborn child. And here the 'fun' begins in earnest.

After resisting Nip/Tuck for the first season, I will readily admit to falling under the show's weird vibe voodoo and faithfully watching the increasingly outrageous exploits of Sean and Christian right up to the sixth and final season. Here, Murphy and Falchuk wisely follow that same bizarre conceptual feel, which if you boil it down to its ugly essence, is basically an unblinking psychological examination of the human animal's most crude primal urges and needs. Beyond the obvious paranormal trappings, American Horror Story cleverly taps into those universal fears and terrors: a loved one's betrayal, losing a child, non-acceptance by peers, bullying, sexual addiction, losing one's mind, being murdered by strangers or loved ones, suicide--anything and everything the dark side of the human existence has to offer. At the same time, the show pays homage (sometimes too obviously) to the genre it seeks to somewhat caricature: Kubrick's The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, and TV's Dark Shadows, among many others, even as it cleverly seeks to blend in a squirmy, seedy noir/B-movie/murder mystery affectation. That said, the production is super-slick, the effects inobtrusive, and the shocks and occasional gory gross-outs quick and effective. Murphy's penchant for being over-the-top is fully realized here, but if that titillates rather than bothers you, you will definitely enjoy this ultra-creepy show.

Ah like mah drapes with a
l'il gravy, dahlin'...

The casting for this season was nearly pitch perfect, the stand-out being Jessica Lange (Big Fish) as wacked-out Southern grande dame and next-door neighbor Constance. Lange chews so much scenery, I half-expect her to start eating the drapes. A true delight to watch, she has been nominated for a Golden Globe, and rightfully so. Also quite good are supporting characters Frances Conroy (United States of Tara) and Alexandra Breckinridge (True Blood), both as maid Moira O'Hara, Evan Peters (Kick-Ass) as the almost sympathetic psychopath Tate, and Sarah Paulson (American Gothic) as a sarcastic medium. ("Someone's at the door...")

The second and third episodes dropped in their crunchy edginess for me, but the show recovered quickly and steadily improved after that short slump. Without giving anything away here, I will say that Murphy and Company took some intriguingly dangerous risks with the characters and storyline in the deliciously mordant season finale ("Afterbirth") and it will be interesting to see how this talented group of writers handle the second season. They threw the blood-spattered kitchen sink at the show this season. How will they be able to maintain this schizophrenically break-neck pace? Why, by rebooting the entire show with a new house, new characters, new story! Stay tuned!

--Review by Walt Hicks

Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter by Edward M. Erdelac

2011-12-17T14:28:00.016-05:00

The much ballyhooed, alternately reviled and revered, small & e-press "revolution" (still ongoing, if slowed somewhat by an obviously drunken economy) has presented the good, the bad and the ugly for readers. Good news, many extremely talented authors who before could not find a home for their quirky, mixed or off-genre works in the "conventional press" now have a much welcomed voice; bad news, literally tons of absolute dreck exist out there that must be sifted through. Fortunately, there's the often ugly: today's savvy reader has easy access to a seemingly endless number of review sites and blogs, along with Internet word of 'mouth' assisting them in tracking down worthwhile reading material that might actually tickle one's particular fancy. Of course, individual tastes vary wildly, so the discriminating reader is understandably cautious about selecting a read that works for them and must research accordingly. (You can thank us later.)

Edward M. Erdelac's Merkabah Rider: Tales of a High Planes Drifter(Damnation Press, 2009) is actually a collection of four progressive novellas (Erdelac rightly calls them "Episodes") following the bizarre exploits of the titular Rider, a gunslinging Jewish mystic on an epic quest for vengeance and retribution in the American West, circa the late 19th century. The first episode, Blood Libel, introduces us to the Rider, finding him riding into the small Arizona mining town fittingly called Delirium Tremens, where the disappearances of children lead the Rider to battle a demon-worshipping cult on both physical and astral planes. In Dust Devils, the Rider faces his equal in a powerful voodoo bokor in a storm-shrouded border town. The Rider teams with a strange old preacherman in Hell's Hired Gun, against Medgar Tooms, the titular cursed villian. And, finally, The Nightjar Women, details the Rider's adventure in a whorehouse populated with the daughters of Lillith. Four very different and distinct episodes, and yet they all tie together perfectly, carefully advancing the backstory, history and overall mystique of the mysterious Rider.

The Cinsearae Santiago cover piece is a stunning affair, with evocative text font, mystic symbology abounding and the appropropriate nods to the Old West theme correctly hinting at what the reader has in store. In the pdf version I read, the interior layout is excellent, easy on the eyes (once I got the settings right for my own personal reading comfort), and the collection is well-edited by Tim Marquitz. As an appendix, there's a handy alphabetized lexicon of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Aramaic terminology used throughout the collection. Although not completely necessary for the enjoyment of the book, I would recommend checking out this section first if the reader is unfamiliar with the terms.

Erdelac's mercurial style is equally at home describing the lone prairie as it is detailing a mystical astral plane. There are echos of influence without a hint of the dreaded 'homage'; Erdelac's thoughtful wordslinging is as unique as his title character. His evident passion for both history and Jewish mysticism is totally engaging but never gets in the way of great storytelling, whether it's slam-bang action, breath-taking scenery, raw humanity, unexpected humor, supernatural trickery or even gruesome bits of gore here and there. The Old West is portrayed on a beautiful if often viscious tapestry of unique characters, otherworldly influences and ancient superstition. Here Erdelac has created an iconic and enduring literary character in the Rider, as vivid as Roland Deschain, the Man with No Name, Jon Shannow, or Rooster Cogburn. He wisely reveals the Rider's complex layers slowly through these four tales, detailing a carefully wrought history and backstory. As a word of warning, if you are expecting the main conflict introduced and expounded upon throughout to be resolved, be advised that there are two sequels to this engrossing epic, The Mensch With No Name(2010) and Have Glyphs Will Travel(2011). For more of his work, visit the Edward M. Erdelac Amazon Page.

--Review by Walt Hicks

Also recommended: Skin Medicine by Tim Curran.

Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer (2010 Film)

2011-12-13T12:12:00.006-05:00

Watched Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer(2010), a horror film directed by Mark Vadik. *spoilers* Horror fans appear to be split on this one, and I'm on the "it sucks" side. For horror movie fans I'll run down the cast list 'cause there's a large number of popular faces. Brian Krause (Sleepwalkers/Charmed), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers/Roseanne TV), Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead/Aliens), Doug Jones (Hellboy), Rae Dawn Chong (Commando), Anne Leighton (Star Trek 2009), Patricia Belcher (Jeepers Creepers)...and others. Kinda impressive, huh? I think so, too bad the story is average. Most of it is told by Lance Henriksen. There's faux documentary flashes that strive to educate us with the low-down on serial killers, but it's superficial and long-familiar stuff. The blood and gore is sufficiently done. The killer grinds his victims up and serves 'em to the locals. Cyrus claims it's based on real events. I guess it's based on serial killers in general, because the portrayed circumstances are clearly far-fetched. *bored sigh* I just didn't like it. Catch it if it happens to be on, if not, you've missed nothing. 1 star.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin
HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

Hawaii 5-0 (CBS)

2011-12-06T13:53:00.013-05:00

Popular contemporary legend would have us believe that 'television rots your brain'. Arguably, that might be so, but it is my firm opinion that humans cannot--and should not--live on a steady (if stimulating) diet of 'high art' alone. Sometimes you just need to kick the old brain out of gear, let it glide along in neutral, and look at all the pretty, pretty pictures. In moderation, guilty pleasures usually don't decay the cranial sweetmeats. Enter K/O Paper Products and 101st Street Television, in association with CBS Productions' re-imagined Hawaii 5-0 (and that ends in a 'zero' not an 'o'). This Peter M. Lenkov/Alex Kurtzman/Roberto Orci-developed revamp is remarkably similar to the first Hawaii 5-O, with just enough past nods to satisfy fans of the original, without alienating new viewers who have no earthly idea who Jack Lord was. Little wonder that this throwback reboot is successful; the long-time team of Kurtzman/Orci have been involved with such 'reimagined' films as Mission: Impossible III, Transformers, and Star Trek, as well as TVs Fringe, which is little more than a cleverly complicated vision of The X-Files.

Book this, beyotches.

Steve McGarrett was originally portrayed with grimly intense gusto by Jack Lord, a veteran character actor of stage, screen and television, primarily in westerns (his rodeo cowboy turn in Stoney Burke is an old fave). Lord was actually considered for the role of Captain Kirk by Gene Roddenberry, but Lord demanded a fifty percent partnership in the show, so Roddenberry cast Shatner in that iconic role instead. Early hopefuls for the McGarrett role included Richard Boone (Have Gun Will Travel) and even Gregory Peck, before Lord finally read for the part, and began filming two days later in Hawaii. There he would remain to film twelve seasons of 5-O, and after the show ended in 1980, he lived in relative seclusion until his death in 1998 at age 77, leaving behind an estimated estate of $40 million.

The cast of the new 5-0 is smartly put-together: Alex O'Loughlin as the more physical, former SEAL McGarrett; a deliciously over-the-top Scott Caan as Dan-O; Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) pitch perfect as Chin; Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) convincingly kicking butt as a feminized Kono; with recurring characters, the brilliant Terry O'Quinn (Lost again) as LCDR Joe White and Mark Dacascos as the villainous Wo Fat. Although O'Loughlin is certainly serviceable in the main role, I can't think of an actor today with the almost sinister intensity of Jack Lord. Even when Lord was smiling, he often looked as though he might eat your face if you lipped off to him. The original 5-O was frequently pilloried for being ultra-violent at the time; the current show makes it seem tame in comparison. In fact, well into season two, parts of a recent episode ("Ki'ilua") could almost be considered 'splatter flick' material. However, what mostly makes the new show work is lovingly shot Hawaiian scenery, major motion picture quality production values, clever scripts, an unobtrusive dollop of nostalgia, with enough action and attractive, mainly likable characters to divert attention away from any potentially gaping plot holes and inconsistencies. Add international intrigue, topical terrorism plot devices, and stir in plenty of military, medical, high-tech and forensic elements to satisfy any viewer of CSI, NCIS, JAG or any number of other TV initialisms, and you have a tasty recipe for TV reboot success.

5-0 isn't high art. It succeeds at being exactly what it's meant to be: escapist fun, meant to liberate us from our troubles, if only for an hour (okay, 40-45 minutes sans commercials) at a time.

Be there. Aloha.

--Review by Walt Hicks

Tourist Trap (1979 Film)

2011-12-06T11:47:00.004-05:00

Revisited one of my all-time favorite horror films Tourist Trap (1979). I own a few of the props and the original full-size theatrical poster. This supernatural horror tale excels in atmosphere and emotion. Anyone slightly fearful of mannequins and wax figures will soon discover Tourist Trap is the summit for a person touched with Pediophobia (fear of dolls or, more generally, of "false representation of sentient beings"), and for anyone else, it's just a damn good horror film. Chuck Connors and Jocelyn Jones deliver first-class performances. And Tanya Roberts does great in a pre-Charlie's Angels part. The famed Italian composer Pino Donaggio sends Tourist Trap to the horror A-list with an unforgettable, spine-chilling film score. I remember reading in Danse Macabre by Stephen King that he stated Tourist Trap as being one of his top faves, and I can clearly understand why. 5 stars

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin
HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

The Orphan Palace by Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.

2011-12-03T12:27:00.012-05:00

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Joseph S. Pulver, Sr.'s brilliant and breath-taking collection of short stories, SIN & ashes, published by Hippocampus Press (and you can find that review here.) As I read Pulver's stimulating and sinewy prose, I found myself pondering, "this is fantastic in bite-sized, short story morsels, but how would it translate into a longer format, such as a novel?" Fortunately, I wouldn't have a long wait to find out. Pulver's latest novel The Orphan Palace, published by Chômu Press, is a sprawling 'road' epic revolving around the episodic journey 'home' of damaged everyman Cardigan, a man unable to escape himself because, like all of us, he has become who he is because of the twists and turns of his life, and the subsequent choices he makes. Sound simplistic? Believe me, in the hands of the talented Pulver, it is anything but. Cardigan's bizarre but all-too-human journey across a desolate and horrifyingly familiar landscape, encountering malignant allegories in all sorts of outlandish forms, eventually returns him to the titular orphanage/asylum called Zimms, where his malformation as a child under the domination of the coldly ineluctable Dr. Archer continously festers like an unhealable wound.

UK-based Chômu Press' dedication to publishing "fiction that is both imaginative and unhindered by considerations of genre" is certainly very well realized here. The version I read is comfortable on the eyes; well-proofed and edited (all the odd capitalizations, unusual punctuation, off-kilter spelling and linguistic cadence are there on purpose!) The Peter Diamond wrap around cover art is perfectly evocative of the madness found within.

Pulver's writing, as I have previously noted, is often lushly poetic, while being simultaneously brutally jarring, rendered in a unique and syncopated phrasing that is both captivating and austere. His striking prose notwithstanding, Pulver also possesses a searingly intuitive insight into the human condition that is painfully evidenced with each carefully turned word and phrase. There are ghostly echoes of various genres, influential authors and styles, but like a master alchemist, Pulver has forged his own unique mutant alloy, consisting of an often insalubrious mixture of clay and gold that renders a canny study in modern ethnography. While I readily confess to the belief that Pulver is a postmodern literary genius, his work will not appeal to all; this ain't no beach read or comfortably ensconced genre novel (and there's nothing wrong with either--when well-written and clever, I enjoy both). While here, the journey's mostly the thing, for me, the denouement is neither satisfying/frustrating nor inevitable; it is only one of many chance endings to a voyage impelled by the Tides and Winds of Chaos. So far, I have read this novel three times; the first in a rapid, 'what happens next?' fury, the second to see what I missed the first time amid the decayed ruins and rapid-fire violence, and finally, to savor the rich, layered textures of complicated syntax and deeply-rooted symbolism left for the reader to decipher. As Cardigan's conveniently oft-vanishing companion/tormentor, a rat named D'if allows, after being accused of being Fate's Finger: "I am but a tiny piece of Night." I can easily imagine a fourth and fifth read.

--Review by Walt Hicks

The contemporary 'road novel' in mixed genre fiction is nothing new, of course; t. Winter-Damon & Randy Chandler's perversely dangerous Duet for the Devil, Nick Mamatas' brilliant Kerouac/Lovecraft mash-up Move Under Ground and Dennis Latham's hilariously weird romp Driving With Ace are all completely diverse, and certainly worthy examples.

Bread Crumbs (2011 Film)

2011-11-30T12:37:00.006-05:00

Watched Bread Crumbs(2011). *spoilers* This horror film has a dandy trailer, nifty cover artwork, and a great opening credits display. But, oh boy, don't let that fool ya! There's so much unbelievableness to be witnessed, it can't be saved. Basically, a troupe of adult filmmakers go to a remote location to shoot a porn: that's significant because it aims to feature the last on-screen performance of a veteran porn actress. However, two deranged teens(?) keep this from happening. The cast-out teens, living alone in the woods, believe they're Hansel and Gretel and that their life is a fairy tale. Look, we have two young people here killing off a group of physically more powerful individuals, not to mention, at some moments, right in their midst. DUMB. We're not talking about Jason or Michael by any stretch of the imagination. Marianne Hagan from 1995's Halloween - The Curse Of Michael Myers plays the tired porn queen. Neg 1 star.

Review by Terry HORNS Erwin
HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse

(Mooched with permission)

Deadtown and Other Tales of Horror Set in the Old West by Carl Hose

2011-11-26T13:51:00.002-05:00

Long ago and far away, when I was but an impressionable young lad who would read practically anything and everything I could get my grubby little paws on, I often wondered why no one ever dared write 'the' Consummate Novel: Professor Van Helsing teams with Holmes and Watson in hot pursuit of Professor Moriarity, who naturally has formed a villainous alliance with Baron Von Frankenstein, Count Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll. The pursuit eventually leads to Wham, Texas where Harry Destry picks up his guns once again to join the fray. In those days (to my young dismay), genres were generally carefully separated, so, ostensibly, one wouldn't get lost in the library or bookstore. Today, thankfully, writers often combine, merge and/or run roughshod over genre lines. So now, one can scarcely swing a dead prairie dog without hitting a horror/western, sci-fi/western, or other form of so-called 'weird western'.

This brings us to Deadtown and Other Tales of Horror Set in the Old West by Carl Hose, published by MARLvision Press. A collection, as the title indicates, of thirteen tales of terror, most set in the American Western frontier of the late 19th century. The action kicks off with "It Rolled into Town" a rollicking, yet cautionary tale of inadvertent grave robbers Barton and Kincaid, two star-crossed crooks who have the misfortune of attempting to lay claim to the loot of a vengeance-minded Egyptian mummy. The title track, if you will, "Deadtown" follows with drifter Frank Talbott riding into the ominously titular town. Talbott, despite Hose's protestations to the contrary in his Introduction, is a totally engaging character who also appears in "Little Town of Aleone" and "Downtown Sundown" and could easily have been the inspiration for the Cullen Bohannon character in AMC's wonderfully gritty Hell on Wheels. The collection wraps up with "Dead, White and Blue", a modern-day ghostly fable that takes its roots (so to speak) from the horrible travesties of the Civil War.

The pdf version I read was well-laid out and comfortable to read. The thumbnail doesn't do the evocative cover art justice; it really pops when viewed full-size. The font (which carries over to the interior of the book in the print version) is just a little dramatic for my taste (particularly inside the book), but is certainly appropriate for the material. The book is well-edited (my eagle-eye only caught one misspelling and a few punctuation problems which might've been caused by the pdf interpretation I read), and it's easy to access the various sections and contents.

Hose writes with the confident swagger of an old school genre expert; if the collection's title seems slightly unwieldy, his prose is perfectly straightforward and purposeful--yet elegant and descriptive when need be. The stories are all well-structured, action-packed and loaded with intriguing characters, crackling dialog and occasionally, a little well-written erotica to boot. Hose cleverly gut-slams the reader one moment, then unexpectedly touches the heart (or elicits a snicker) the next, bobbing and weaving like a champion prize fighter. This is a quite enjoyable, very fun collection, particularly for those who like their genres mixed, shaken and stirred. You can find more of Hose's work by visiting the Carl Hose Amazon Page.

-- Review by Walt Hicks

The Descent (Parts 1 & 2--2005 & 2009 Films)

2011-11-26T11:11:00.034-05:00

Watched The Descent (2005). I never had any interest in this horror film. Caught it the other day on IFC and actually liked it. *spoiler alert* Considering all the interior scenes weren't shot inside a real cave, the film does a spectacular job of making you feel like you're seeing a real one. The confined, dark spaces successfully create a claustrophobic atmosphere that jumps off the screen. The creatures are hideous and believable enough. And the protagonists, a group of former sorority sisters who share a love of extreme adventure, are likeable, even if at times hard to tell apart, especially in the darker scenes. 3 stars. Makes me want to see part 2.

*****

"Any of you girls got a light?"

Watched The Descent: Part 2 (2009). After seeing the first one, I just had to Netflix this sequel released four years after the first. *spoiler alert* I loved it! One could not hope for a better sequel. The story picks up two days after the end sequence in the first film. Fans of the first Descent should not miss this one. Seriously, it does it all right. There's a ton of surprising twists and everything ties together. Sarah fights for survival once again, against creatures, an ignorant sheriff, and an ex-friend. You learn things, gross, disturbing things. 3 stars ~ If you liked The Descent (2005), you've got to see part 2!

--Reviews by Terry "HORNS" Erwin

(HORNS is the author of the novel Chophouse.)

(Mooched with permission)

Sons of Anarchy (FX Network)

2011-11-23T11:31:00.008-05:00

*SPOILER ALERT*

Just when I think Sons of Anarchy: Season Four is actually trying to jump the shark (hell, they already have the motorcycles--but no waterskies), they beat the shark to death with ball bats, sodomize the corpse, skin it, and hang the sandpapery hide on their MC wall. Well into a rollicking Season Four, a few weeks ago, they killed off my boy Juicy (a few rabbit-eared viewers caught the snap of the tree branch as the scene faded to black; I thought it was his neck!). The following week when he survived, I thought, c'mon man , what a rip-off! But then, they turn around and kill off Opie's old man Piney. In fact, they made fun of that idiom-defying turn this past week (Gemma: "Where's Piney?" Wayne: "He just got up and walked away." Gemma: "I'm not laughing here.")

This show follows the fast-paced implausibility formula of 24: The Complete Series...couple fantastic actors in pitch-perfect casting, then keep hitting with action and plot twists so violently fast and furious that the audience scarcely has time to ponder the improbabilities. Part soap opera, part action/adventure/Easy Rider homage, part Shakespearean tragedy, part Faustian nightmare (with some weird Freudian overtones), Sons lives and dies by its hard-edged, surprise-a-second writing from Kurt Sutter (husband of the terrific SOA star Katie Sagal) and his merry band of lunatics. The way the storyline has progressed this season, I was sure this had to be the end. The disintegration of SAMCRO has seemed inevitable from the very beginning, but Sutter has managed to rip mangled victory from the clenched jaws of defeat before, with spectacular results. This past week, Op shoots Clay point-blank in the chest as we go to black, (did anyone else think they spied a bullet-proof vest underneath Clay's shirt?) hot and cold vengeance for the deaths of his wife and father. The show was recently renewed for a fifth season...can they possibly write themselves out of what seems to be the endgame for SAMCRO, and then even top their previous outrageousness? I know I'll be watching...so should you!

-- Review/essay by Walt Hicks

The John D. MacDonald Collection (Audio)

2011-11-22T11:25:00.018-05:00

As most true fans of the detective/action/mystery genres have, I read the complete Travis McGee series by pulp master John D. MacDonald many, many years ago. Every couple of years, I revisit my "beach bum turned knight in slightly tarnished armor" hero once again. A few years ago, faced with an interminable daily commute and inane radio chatter, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and order the audio book package. While I’m not normally a huge fan of audio books, I decided to give this so-called John D. MacDonald Value Collection a shot.

Bravo! Propelled predominately by John D. MacDonald's elegant yet wistful prose and bolstered significantly by the late, great Darren McGavin's at times powerfully emotional narration, through my car cassette player, Travis McGee came to life as he never had before. The first novel, The Deep Blue Good-by, written over forty years ago, suffers slightly from minor out-dated references, but rarely. The characters are so very well drawn and the musings of McGee so true and universal, the occasional anachronism can be overlooked. The Lonely Silver Rain, the last in the series, is completely relevant, perhaps even more today than when written. Here our hero is left facing his own encroaching age, mortality and wondering about his eventual legacy. Really, a nostalgic and perfect coda to the series.

Once you travel to Slip F-18, Bahia Mar, Lauderdale, you will want to return again and again to visit with these two master storytellers in this highly recommended volume. Regrettably, the John D. MacDonald Value Collection is still only available (mostly used) on audio cassette, but hopefully will soon be rendered digitally.

-- Review by Walt Hicks

King Death by Paul Finch

2011-11-16T10:50:00.024-05:00

Simon Marshall-Jones’ Spectral Press is the publisher of limited edition, signed and numbered, single-story chapbooks, devoted, as the press release says, to tales of the ghostly and supernatural. The first three editions, Gary McMahon’s unequivocally brilliant “What They Hear in the Dark”, Gary Fry’s chilling “Abolisher of Roses” and Cate Gardner’s mind-bending “Nowhere Hall” all quickly sold out, and rightfully so. Each is unique and powerful in its own way, and represent modern-day affectations of supernatural madness.

Spectral's upcoming release “King Death” by Paul Finch (already provisionally sold out!) charts a totally different tack: it is set in 14th century England during the horrific aftermath of the Black Death pandemic. We ride across a desolate countryside with one of the few remaining plague survivors, the faux knight Rodric, who is a ruthless mercenary, opportunist and self-confessed fraud. Rodric’s interest and greed are piqued when he encounters a fellow survivor, a wretched young lad formerly of wealthy parentage, wandering alone across the death-strewn countryside. In the capable hands of multiple award-winning author Paul Finch, we are masterfully, if reluctantly, transported to those unimaginably dreadful days of pestilence, death and misery. And yet, Finch renders these gruesome horrors with such an achingly beautiful and precise prose that the reader’s heart is torn in pity for the shattered young boy and revulsion for the immoral black knight out for his own gain. The denouement, the mechanism of which caught me somewhat off guard, is quite satisfying. If you are not particularly a fan of fiction deeply rooted in historical atmosphere, fear not: “King Death” is a wrenching, beautifully-written tale of humanity that transcends age, epoch and other hoary marches of time. There’s also a quite handy appendix at the end, a glossary of historical terms the reader might find unfamiliar.

As always, Spectral Press produces high quality work (this reviewer read the pdf version), well-edited, easy-on-the-eyes layout, with subtle but compelling cover art. With such attention to detail and devotion to craft, little wonder that each Spectral Press release seems to sell out in preorder. Definitely a publisher to watch.

-- Review by Walt Hicks