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‘Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery’ in Bookstores Today

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Fans of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles have an all new reason to be excited today with a brand new companion book available in bookstores and from online retailers. Written by Rice’s longtime assistant, Becket, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery is a repository of every name, every place, every vampiric gift, featured in the 15 novel (and growing) series.

Encyclopedic in scope, filled with details that even the most devout fans might have missed, and stunning illustrations by Mark Edward Geyer, the Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery is a masterpiece, and Becket sat down to speak with iHorror on just how it came to be.

“She [Anne] was talking to her agent right around the release of Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis and the agent told her that she loved the book but she was having trouble remembering details from the Chronicles,” Becket explained. “She suggested she needed some sort of encyclopedia to remember all the names and places and Anne turned to me and asked if I would write something like that and I said sure I’d love to.”

Outside of the author herself, Becket might have been the perfect choice for this project. He discovered Rice’s books while attending his Catholic high school and became a lifelong fan. Several years later, when he was living as monk in a Benedictine monastery in New Orleans, he had the chance to meet the author when she needed a harpsichord to decorate for a book signing at a local bookstore.

The two became friends, developing a relationship via email and when a few years later, he decided he wanted to leave the monastery, not having taken his solemn vows, he wrote to Rice asking if she had any jobs available.

He went to work in her library and soon began traveling with her to book signings and interviews, helping coordinate her calendar. Before long, he was her personal assistant and they’d known each other for 18 years.

However even knowing the author personally and having read the books numerous times, the task of compiling the information was a daunting one.

“My first draft was basically made up of the main characters,” Becket said. “I wrote down about 100 names and then wrote little entries for each of them based on my own memory. Then I went back through the books and re-read them. If I read a name, I wrote it down. If I read an ability, I wrote it down. I did the same with all of the places, the homes, and property.”

By the time the book had gone through its final edits, it had grown to an impressive 160,000 words. It was when we asked the author his favorite entry, that he gave us the rarest treat, a little Easter Egg hidden inside each of Rice’s novels that you might never have noticed before.

“In the “O” section, you’ll find an entry called One Fine Blow,” he said. “When Anne published her first book, she gave a copy to her father and among the things he commented on was the phrase “one fine blow”. He loved the phrase, and because of that, she included it in every single one of the books since then.”

Becket made sure, in the entry, to note where the phrase turns up in each book so that fans can search them out themselves.

In fact, one of the more interesting aspects of the 450 page Alphabettery is that each entry comes with annotations, pointing to other entries that relate to them, ultimately giving the reader three ways to use the book:

  1. One can simply sit down and read it cover to cover.
  2. You can use it as a reference so that when you encounter a name or place in the Chronicles that is vaguely familiar to you, the information can be looked up to refresh your memory.
  3. OR, and this is absolutely fascinating, you can actually choose a character, read their entry, then follow the references at the end of the entry. You can follow whole bloodlines this way. It’s a whole new way of discovering vampiric families, alliances, enemies, truces, etc. and I encourage you to spend at least a little time with the book in this way should you choose to pick it up.

Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles: An Alphabettery by Becket released today on Amazon and in bookstores nationwide!

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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