Evil Dead (2013)

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So I went to see this over the weekend and I figured I should write a review or something since it’s the first horror movie I’ve bothered to go see in theaters in well over a year. Also, I haven’t posted on here in forever and I feel like a slacker.

If somehow you don’t know what Evil Dead is, then shame on you. The original was titled The Evil Dead and it came out in 1981. It was directed by Sam Raimi and is one of the most famous indie horror movies ever. It’s also one of Stephen King’s favorite films of all time. It follows five students as they go to a cabin in the woods, find the Book of the Dead, accidentally unleash a terrible evil, and are brutally slaughtered. It is a freaking cult classic, and if you haven’t seen it it’s on Netflix Instant right now.

At any rate, this new Evil Dead was the cinematic equivalent of leaping from the top of a ten story building and landing in a dumpster full of garbage soaked in rainwater. By that I mean it’s heart-stopping, and utterly revolting. Hell, revolting may not be strong enough of a word for this movie. I’m not kidding;  when I sat down in the theater I noticed an employee in the back mopping up what looked like a pool of vomit with an entire roll of paper towels while two managers came in to check on the progress. So yeah. Take from that what you will.

I laughed my way through nearly all of it.

The intro was fantastically over the top, and by the time the opening title card flashed on the screen I had lost it. Now, don’t misunderstand me here; the campy, pitch-black humor of the original Raimi flick is gone and in it’s place is something entirely different. This new Evil Dead is relentless in how it bombards the audience with gore and panic inducing jump scenes, but those things are why I found the movie so hilarious. Evil Dead tries so hard to be scary (and I’m sure for some people it was flat out terrifying) but all it reminded me of was the Stephen King quote about the types of terror:

“[There are] 3 types of terror: The Gross-out: the sight of a severed head tumbling down a flight of stairs, it’s when the lights go out and something green and slimy splatters against your arm. The Horror: the unnatural, spiders the size of bears, the dead waking up and walking around, it’s when the lights go out and something with claws grabs you by the arm. And the last and worse one: Terror, when you come home and notice everything you own had been taken away and replaced by an exact substitute. It’s when the lights go out and you feel something behind you, you hear it, you feel its breath against your ear, but when you turn around, there’s nothing there.

I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. I’m not proud.”

Evil Dead goes for the gross-out at every turn and it does so magnificently. There’s no shame in making a movie that causes the audience to puke and run; in fact as a pseudo-author of the genre I would be honored to be a part of something that has such a visceral impact on people. The audience reactions were just as entertaining as the movie itself, and any horror film should count that as a badge of honor.

There are some groan-inducing moments of monumental stupidity on the part of pretty much every character throughout the movie, which did get a little irksome, but overall the writing was solid. Perhaps the best aspect of this version is that there is no hero; there’s no Ash. Which is exactly how it should be! The last thing I wanted to see was some half-assed, recast version of one of the greatest and most recognizable figures in horror history. This Evil Dead is just five people dropped into a horrific situation that they have no real hope of surviving, and it allows the audience to sit back and watch the train-wreck as it occurs before going home and having nightmarish visions of Mia peeking out at them from the basement door.

8/10

- Tom

Ready Player One

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I finished this book a few weeks ago and have been too lazy to post about it, but here I am. Don’t expect anything too fancy.

This book was phenomenal. I recommend it to anyone and everyone who plays video games, likes cyberpunk, mysteries, action movies, fantasy novels, science fiction and/or the 1980′s. It is hands down one of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read.

This book is simultaneously everything about my life and everything I want my life to be. It’s nerdy escapism at it’s absolute finest. It reminds me of when science fiction not only predicted the future, but helped shape it.

I will not spoil anything about the story. You do not get any details. Go pick it up right now and I promise you will not regret it.

- Tom

Pill Hill Press Has Closed

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I just discovered that a little over a week ago, Pill Hill Press closed down. Pill Hill published a couple of my stories, and even paid me for them. They were the first publisher that felt my work was good enough to be in an actual book. They made me feel like an author and not just a writer, and I am incredibly saddened that they’re gone.

I want to say a belated thank you to them for everything they did for me and for horror writers in general.

- Tom

2013 To Read List

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Hey all! I’ve been gone for a little over a month with no updates. There are very good reasons for this, and I don’t feel like sharing all of them. Let’s just say what with the holidays, some personal stuff and a horrible stomach bug, I’ve been out of commission for the past four weeks.

I’ll try to post more on here though because I know that the six people in the world who read this blog really miss me.

Anyway, I wanted to drop in and post a list of my current list of books to read in 2013. So here we go:

Two Graves – Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child – The most recent Pendergast novel. I’ve been reading these books since I was about 14 years old and discovered Relic at the Fairport Public Library. Preston and Child never disappoint and I will read anything they put out with gusto. Two Graves was an excellent end to the most recent trilogy, and I look forward to their next offering.

Cold City – F. Paul Wilson – This is the first book in the final Repairman Jack trilogy, which is bittersweet. I love what Wilson has done with Jack over the course of the 15 Jack specific novels and the 6 Adversary Cycle novels, as well as the 3 young adult novels, and I don’t want it to end. I hate endings. Always have, always will. But every good thing must come to an end. I’m nearly finished with this novel, and Wilson still has the same gripping style that he’s managed to hold on to since 1984 when he first introduced the world to Repairman Jack. At least I have two more novels to look forward to until it’s all done.

Remember Why You Fear Me – Robert Shearman – I found this anthology at Barnes and Noble and it seemed interesting so I picked it up. Shearman’s tales are striking and poignant. I can only read a few at a time before I need to put the book down and think about them. He is not like any author I have ever read, and he manages to write stories that are both refreshingly light-hearted and soul-crushingly depressing at the same time.

Every House is Haunted – Ian Rogers – Similar to the previous book, I also found this one at Barnes and Noble, and it’s also a horror anthology. I haven’t started this one yet, but I have high hopes for it. Reviews compare him to Bradbury, Matheson and Serling, all of whom are reasons why I got into the horror genre.

The Twelve – Justin Cronin – I mentioned this one previously, and did start it but realized in the time since I read The Passage I forgot about 85% of what happened. I’ll need to re-read that before I start in on The Twelve. One of the drawbacks to reading  800 page epics multiple years apart. My memory isn’t what it used to be. At any rate the first hundred pages of The Twelve are excellent, and I’m sure the rest of the book won’t disappoint.

Sandman Slim – Richard Kadrey – I stumbled across this book by accident, and after reading the back I had to add it to my list. It’s about a hitman in Hell who escapes to the world of the living to seek revenge. It reminded me of Simon R. Green’s Nightside series so I figured I’d give it a shot. And if it’s as entertaining as it sounds, there’s a whole series waiting for me. Happy day!

A Once Crowded Sky – Tom King and Tom Fowler – This novel is about superheroes who sacrifice their powers to save the planet and how they deal with the aftermath of that decision. Being a comic buff, this immediately jumped out at me and I’m excited to check it out. Drawing comparisons to Alan Moore’s Watchmen, this novel sounds like it could push the boundaries of the superhero genre.

Hitchers – Will McIntosh – This novel is about a man who, after a terrorist attack, becomes possessed by the spirit of his dead grandfather and must find a way to banish the spirits of those who have returned. McIntosh won the Hugo award so he knows his stuff, and with how saturated the market is with vampires and zombies and werewolves, it’ll be nice to read a ghost story.

Seven Wonders – Adam Christopher – So this is pretty much the superhero novel I wanted to write back in 2011. It’s about a man who develops superpowers and is indoctrinated into a brand new world that isn’t all that different from the one he knew before. Sounds pretty awesome, and sort of makes me glad I didn’t spend too much time on Powerless.

Red Rain – R.L. Stine – It’s the guy who wrote the Goosebumps series writing for adults. If you need more of a plug than that then you’re on the wrong site my friend.

This Book is Full of Spiders (Seriously Dude, Don’t Touch It) – David Wong – Ok, seriously, if the title alone doesn’t make you want to read this novel, maybe knowing it’s the sequel to John Dies At the End will do so. If you haven’t heard of John Dies At the End do yourself a favor and pick it up before the movie comes out later this year. It’s an insane story about street drugs, monsters and the complexities of time and space. Read it.

Breed – Chase Novak – This one just sounded disturbing as Hell so of course I picked it up. It’s about a couple who undergo an experiment to have children, with horrifying consequences. The children are locked in their rooms every night and listen to terrifying nosies from their parents bedroom until eventually they become determined to discover the truth. It’s been compared to Rosemary’s Baby which isn’t shabby at all. Here’s hoping it’s more like the original than Son of Rosemary. Shame on you, Ira Levin.

Burned – Thomas Enger – Scandinavian crime-noir! Now that I’ve finished the Stieg Larrsson trilogy, and have read nearly all of John Lindqvist’s stuff, I have a craving for more fiction in a similar vein. Burned is the first in a series, so it’ll give me more to look forward to if I like it. After a female student is buried up to her neck and stoned to death, Henning Juul is hired to investigate the murder and is drawn into a nightmarish darkness. Sounds pretty freaking awesome to me.

Seed – Rob Ziegler – Post-apocalyptic future? Check. Government conspiracies? Check. Intelligent, living city? Check. Rogue agent bent on changing the future of the human race? Check and mate. What more could I ask for?

10 Billion Days & 100 Billion Nights – Ryu Mitsuse – Originally published in 1967 this Japanese sci-fi novel is critically accalimed. The novel is about Plato, Buddha, Christ, and the demigod Asura as they determine the systems of the world and travel into the future to witness the end of all worlds. It sounds so off the wall, unique and insane that I just have to read it.

The Islanders – Christopher Priest – This novel, from the author of The Prestige, is about a series of islands with varying names and changing locations, told by an unreliable narrator, and involves a murder mystery, a war, deadly creatures and worlds of wonder. Sign me up!

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline – This book has received rave reviews from pretty much every news source on the planet that I give a damn about, including Boing Boing and Daniel H. Wilson (who wrote the fantastic Robopocalypse). This book is so good that the film rights sold the year before it was published. It sounds like a combination of The Matrix and Neuromancer. It takes place in a futuristic world where the Great Recession has ruined the economy and people spend their time playing an online simulation game called OASIS. Clues are hidden throughout the virtual world and the lucky person who deciphers them all will become the controlling shareholder of the gaming company that runs OASIS. This is easily one of the books I am most excited to read this year.

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell – Everyone has heard of the movie by now I’m sure. I didn’t even see it. The idea of six intertwining stories that span hundreds of years and rely on mirroring symbolism and metaphor just sounds like it belongs on the page and not on the screen. I have no doubt this novel will be a work of art and will be breathtaking in its imagery and scope. I just hope I can get to it this year!

Other than these novels, there are some novels coming out this year that I will put everything on hold to read.

NOS4A2 - Joe Hill – I have been waiting three years for Hill’s next novel to come out. Horns remains one of my all time favorite books, and one of the best novels of 2010. His new one is about a man who preys on children, and the one girl who managed to escape from him. It will be amazing.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman – This is Gaiman’s first adult novel since Anansi Boys in 2005. There’s not a lot of information about it except that it’s a fairy tale about mystery, survival, memory and magic. Gaiman is one of my favorite authors of all time and I can’t wait for this to come out.

Joyland and Doctor Sleep – Stephen King – Yeah. That’s right. King has two novels coming out this year. Combined with Hill and Gaiman, this year hits the trifecta. Joyland is about a serial killer who stalks an amusement park. It sounds creepy and disturbing and perfect. Doctor Sleep is a goddamn sequel to The Shining. I don’t think I even need to hype that up.

It’s going to be a good year. Stay positive.

- Tom

Cross your fingers!

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So one of my favorite publishing companies, Permuted Press, is finally open for novel submissions! After a quick panic attack, I put together a plot synopsis for The Hive and sent my manuscript off to them! I have to say, writing the synopsis was insanely hard because I had this paranoid certainty that while I was writing it they would fill up on submissions and be closed when I went to send it all off.

If you’ve never heard of Permuted Press, they brought us stuff like Day By Day Armageddon, Plague of the Dead, and John Dies at the End (one of my all time favorite horror novels).

Check them out here.

Wish me luck!

-Tom

All Hallow’s Read

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Have you heard of All Hallow’s Read?

Well, if you haven’t it’s an ancient tradition started by Neil Gaiman two years ago. The basic premise is that on Halloween (or just during the week of) you give someone a scary book to read. Pretty sweet, right? It’s a great way to support horror literature and promote literacy, and I love it.

Anyways, I’m going to be making The Hive free to download through Amazon all day tomorrow to celebrate the best holiday of the year and to participate in All Hallow’s read. Also, this is the second edition of the book. I went through and cleaned up the first few chapters to help streamline things and make the story move a bit faster. Hope you like it!

If you haven’t read it for some reason, now you can just grab it for free! The Amazon page is here.

Happy Halloween everyone!

- Tom

A Review and a Recommendation

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I actually have a few minutes so I wanted to make a quick post about two novels that I am currently in love with or at least really excited to read.

The former is Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist. You may know his name from the breathtaking vampire novel Let the Right One In. It was also turned into a phenomenal Swedish film with a pretty damn decent American remake. At any rate, he’s the Swedish answer to Stephen King and hasn’t written anything I didn’t like. If you haven’t read his stuff yet then get to the bookstore right now.

Anyway, I haven’t finished it yet but Little Star is a novel about two young outcasts from very different backgrounds whose lives intersect through a series of odd coincidences. I’ve seen it compared to Carrie by King, but Lindqvist has created a story that is so unique I don’t feel right comparing it to anything else. He’s a master of character building and heartbreaking realism. Little Star is a story about bullying, depression, social media, love and murder. Again, I’m not done yet, but it’s nothing short of amazing so far.

I highly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of  psychological horror, or anyone who enjoyed Let the Right One In.

8/10

The second book I wanted to mention just came out yesterday. It’s called The Twelve and it’s the second book in Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy. The Passage tells the tale of a post-apocalyptic, vampire infested world and is one of the most stunningly original horror novels of the decade. It reminded me of The Stand meets The Strain and completely blew me away.

I have been waiting for two years for The Twelve to come out, and as soon as I finish Little Star I’ll be diving in headfirst. Obviously, I have no review yet or even an idea as to how the book compares to its predecessor, but Cronin has my faith and I don’t doubt that the book will be well worth the wait. If you haven’t yet, go read The Passage and I swear that you won’t regret it.

- Tom