Connect with us

News

Book Review: Mike Thorn Mines the Depths of Anxiety and Doubt in “Darkest Hours”

Published

on

I’m not sure what it was about Mike Thorn and the announcement of his debut collection of short horror stories that caught my eye.  I was looking through a list of Google alerts like I do every day, searching for news and various topics that might be of interest for iHorror.  The announcement was short and to the point.  Mike Thorn from Canada had a new short story collection releasing in November called Darkest Hours.  I nearly passed it by, but something just kept pulling my eyes back to the announcement.

Not one to ignore those instincts, I reached out to Thorn and within the hour I had a digital copy of Darkest Hours and was settling in to  read the first story simply titled “Hair”.  I knew two things when I finished that story:

  1. I was completely repulsed and disturbed by what I’d just read.
  2. I would have missed the chance of a lifetime if I’d skipped this announcement because Mike Thorn is brilliant.

Over the course of the next 200 pages, Thorn walks the reader through a multitude of strange and unexpected landscapes in a collection that would not be out of place sitting on a shelf next to the work of Aaron Dries, Stephen King, and Clive Barker.

The stories range from dark, tongue-in-cheek humor to the truly disturbing and macabre.  Take “Hair” for instance, which centers on a young man who has trichophilia.  In other words, he derives sexual gratification from hair.  Touching it, tasting it, sitting in a warm bath full of it…you understand why I was disturbed now.  It’s only when he gives over completely to this fetish, however, that he fully understands the implications of what he’s done.

Then there’s “The Auteur” in which a horror enthusiast meets his match in the guise of pretty co-worker.  She makes her own horror films and he soon discovers that what he’s watched before has not come close to preparing him for what goes on in front of her camera.

In “Economy These Days”, Thorn hones in on the lengths that people will go to find a job in the current economic environment, and let me tell you, it’s violent and bloody.

These are only three of the sixteen tales included in Darkest Hours.  Thorn presents a collection of horror stories that are not only scary, but also intelligent, thoughtful, and carefully planned confronting the anxieties of modern life.  It’s a collection made for the 21st century, and one that should not be missed by fans of well written horror.

Darkest Hours is available November 21, 2017 from a host of online retailers in both paperback and digital formats.  To keep up with the latest updates, be sure to follow Mike Thorn on Twitter @MikeThornWrites!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

on

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

on

Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

on

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading