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Aaron Dries: New Master of Horror

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If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for the next big voice in horror books.  Books have their own special power where horror is concerned.  Where a movie’s job is to show you, in graphic detail, the monster/killer that is after you.  With a book, the only limitation is your imagination, and the horror novelists job is to kick that imagination into high gear so that you are consumed with the world they have created.  I was recently introduced to the novels of Aaron Dries, and I tell you, this man is a master of that.

His novels are gritty, visceral experiences designed to prey on real world fears.  The only ghosts haunting his prose are those that haunt the memories of his characters.  The only demons are the ones embodied in the hatred and conniving of his antagonists.  I had the opportunity to chat with Aaron this week and our full interview is included below.  If you’ve never read his fiction before, I encourage you to take full advantage of the announcement at the end of the interview to get a jump start on experiencing his intense, claustrophobic trove of horrors.

Waylon @ iHorror:  I was first introduced to your work by Lisa Morton, President of the Horror Writers Association. A fellow writer and I approached her about finding some of the up and coming voices in horror and we are both interested in LGBT voices, as well. She immediately hit upon you. She told us about a panel she’d shared with you where you talked about some of your homophobic hate mail you had received due to some of your gay characters.  Is this something that happens often?

Aaron Dries:  It’s only ever happened in regards to one book, my first. House of Sighs. But interestingly, I received multiple pieces of hate mail in regards to it. It caught me extremely off guard. And the whole hate mail thing is weird, to me at least, simply because there’s no gay sex scenes in the book at all, which is something I would maybe understand prickling the skins of some. No. It was just really angry subtext. I think that made them even more angry. Also more so because the true nature of the book, which I guess does have an agenda (an anti-homophobia message, among other things) doesn’t emerge until later in the novel. So I kind of hoodwinked them, I guess.

Waylon:  I can’t imagine getting that kind of response to a debut novel. I suppose in one respect, you’ve hit a nerve and people are talking about your writing, but did it make you step back before beginning your next novel?

Aaron:  It didn’t make me step back. It just surprised me, and I guess in some way, kind of pleasantly. If I wanted to make people feel all nice and fuzzy, I’d write something else. But it was an angry book. All my stuff is. And I was angry about a couple of issues that were important to me. That a handful of people had their feathers ruffled over House of Sighs means the book worked — and they were just unfortunate casualties along the way, I’m sorry to say. And the only people who I can imagine who’d be upset over the anti-homophobia vibe of the book would be homophobes. And based on the content of their mail (and yes, they were men), they were homophobes. I guess it’s not terribly pleasant having someone shit over your own beliefs in popular culture, and to some degree, the book is prejudiced — in that I don’t suffer bigots lightly. Either in life, or on the page.  The book is about a lot of things, homophobia being only one element.  It’s also about masculinity. I think that made their hatred burn brighter, honestly.

Waylon:  I love that response! House of Sighs was amazing. It…I don’t know, possessed me as I read it. The characters were so very real and the situation was absolutely terrifying.

Aaron:  That’s so damn awesome to hear.

Waylon:  Where did the idea of number the chapters backward in House of Sighs come from?

Aaron:  The shower. Isn’t that where everyone’s ideas come from?

Waylon:  Well, all the best ones.

Aaron:  I don’t know. I was just showering and BANG the idea came to me. I’d been really toying around with the idea of dread. House of Sighs is a very visceral novel, a real pedal to the metal kind of story. And nothing kills dread quicker than action, I think. And I wanted the story to be about inevitability, which is in and of itself, dread infused. So I needed a technique, or a literary ploy, to counteract the action. And then BANG. There it came to me in the shower. Tell the story from A to B, but number the chapters backwards – like a countdown to disaster.

Waylon:  More like a countdown to Hell, and I have told everyone that who I’ve recommended the book to since I read it.  Dread is a word I have also used a lot in discussion of the book.

Aaron:  That’s exactly what the countdown is. Everyone has their own personal hells, their own house of sighs. The book is about being dragged into someone else’s countdown, against your will, and about how you would react. For better, or worse.  I’m glad ‘dread’ springs to mind. It’s very hard to pull off. Certain books do. The Shining springs to mind. But like I mentioned, action can really break that mood. You need something unifying, some leaden anvil forming above the reader’s head that’s always there to keep the tension alive. And dread is a great anvil.

Waylon:  You had a dynamic cast of characters in House of Sighs. From Liz and her dysfunctional family to the passengers she captures on her bus, but you took all of those relationships and turned them on their heads, never letting the reader feel assured of any alliance. You’re a bit of a sadist, Mr. Dries.

Aaron:  (laughing)  I wish I could deny it.  But it’s true. On paper, yes.

Waylon:  And then came The Fallen Boys.

Aaron:  To some degree, I set out to hurt the reader. And The Fallen Boys, I hope, does that.

Waylon:  If you’ll accept the comparison, your descriptions in The Fallen Boys might be described as Barker-esque.  There is sexuality and sadism in some of those passages without ever being completely overt.

Aaron:  I can search my soul to find a way of accepting that comparison!  Barker is a genius!  The Barker allusion is interesting. There’s something that I learned from Barker, and it wasn’t necessarily about how to be disturbing. It’s that language, prose that is, can be cloying. I think that’s inherently advantageous to claustrophobic horror stories. That’s what I’ve learned from Barker, and which is on display in my work.

Waylon:  Once again, there is dread here, but it takes such a sadistic and manic tone in places.

Aaron:  Very much so. And that’s very deliberate. But I think the sadism and manic tone only comes off as striking because of the delicate contrasts established. A lot of stories forget about that balance.

Continued on Next Page–>

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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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