Connect with us

News

Book Review: ‘Meddling Kids’ Out Just in Time for Summer Reading

Published

on

It’s time to start getting ready for Summer, and if you’re an old school horror fan, have I got a book recommendation for you. It’s called Meddling Kids and its author, Edgar Cantero, has created the perfect vacation adventure to put at the very top of your reading lists.

Take one part Famous Five, one part Scooby-Doo, and go way back to grab some H.P. Lovecraft. Mix them all together and you’ll begin to understand the genius that is Meddling Kids.

For those unaware, the Famous Five was a series of popular books in the UK written by Enid Blyton that involved four best friends and their faithful dog who would solve mysteries and hunt for lost treasure together.

Sound familiar?

It’s not a leap to say that they’re the precursors for the Scooby Gang that many Americans grew up with starting in the late 60s.

So what’s going on in Cantero’s novel?

Once upon a time, a group of youngsters (Peter, Kerri, Nate, and Andy) would spend their holidays in Blyton Hills. (See what he did there?) Every Summer they would band together to solve the mysteries that eluded the local authorities.

They called themselves the Blyton Summer Detective Club, and everything was going well until their final case. Something went wrong; something was just a little more real than a man in a mask.

Their lives spun out of control after that and they drifted apart, and Cantero doesn’t shy away from showing that aftermath.

Peter is dead; Kerri’s an alcoholic; Andy’s a wandering badass in trouble with the law and Nate is in a mental institution.

Andy has decided the only way their lives will ever be back on course is to go back to Blyton one last time and confront the real life monster that’s been chasing them for 13 years.

It isn’t only their dangers that have grown up, however. Andy, whose real name is Andrea, is ready to come out of the closet and Kerri has been the object of her desire for over a decade.

The author handles the story line beautifully, delving into the emotional depths of awakening desire and the uncertainty of a friend confronted with a love she’s not sure she can accept or be a part of.

Cantero’s prose is fast-paced and engaging, switching from action to comedy to horror and back again with the ease of an old pro. Essentially, he’s created an adventure story for the kid inside all of us, but raised the blood, tension, and monsters to match our grown-up outsides.

It isn’t only his storytelling that’s innovative, however. The author fuses together different styles of writing from multiple points of view to keep the reader on their toes. One moment, we’re inside the head of Andy, and the next, he’s switched to script format to support the rapid-fire (and often hilarious) dialogue.

My favorite moments, however, come when Cantero takes us inside the mind of the group’s faithful dog, Tim. They are moments of purely innocent observation and contain, quite frankly, some of the best one-liners in the entire book.

In an odd way, the book was created specifically for the crowd who enjoyed the Scooby-Doo/Supernatural crossover that took place a few weeks ago, though it was written long before “Scoobynatural.”

Meddling Kids will be released in a brand new paperback edition on May 29, 2018. You can pre-order the new edition, which comes with a special bonus scene, on Amazon!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

Published

on

beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

Published

on

Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

Published

on

Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading