News
Creepy Bookshelf: What are Horror Authors Reading During Lockdown?
“When I find myself in times of trouble, horror authors come to me.”
Wait, that’s not how that lyric goes…
It’s safe to say that at this point in lockdown/shelter in place, some of us are going a little stir crazy and filling our time is becoming more of a challenge. How many times can we watch the same movie or play the same board game with our families, after all?
While the urge to be out among people may be palpable, we’re still going to be cooped up for a while. For me, that’s meant a lot of around the house projects and updating my reading list to keep the mind sharp when everything else is so terribly dull.
With that in mind, I thought I’d reach out to some talented independent horror authors and ask what they’ve been reading in hopes of refreshing my list, and they did not disappoint me at all!
Take a look at what they’re reading below, and let us know in the comments what is on your lists, as well!
Rob E. Boley: Author of the Scary Tales series
“I’m reading The Wolf’s Hour by Robert McCammon. Lately I’ve been into shorter, 200 page books but I figured while on lockdown, it’s be a good time to dive into something longer like this one. I love McCammon and I’m all about werewolves, so this one has been on my list for awhile. It has not disappointed! His take on werewolves is brilliant, and I love that this particular werewolf is fighting Nazis in WWII. Good stuff!”
Rob is an author with a wicked sense of humor and his Scary Tales series is one of my personal favorites. You can follow Rob E. Boley to keep up with his work on his personal website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Samantha Kolesnik: Author of True Crime
“I recently read Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino. Kirino flays systemic patriarchal oppression and socioeconomic inequality in this novel, and does so with subtle ingenuity. The writing’s so good that halfway through, I ordered more of Kirino’s books and knew she’d become a new favorite author of mine. If you like complex characters and unreliable POVs, Grotesque is an absolute must-read.”
Kolesnik’s debut novella True Crime has become one of the most talked about books in the indie horror world this year. It is a grueling, gripping read that you just have to experience for yourself. For more information you can visit her website or follow her on Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram.
Mike Thorn: Author of Darkest Hours and Dreams of Lake Drukka and Exhumation
“I’m currently reading Daphne du Maurier’s The Breaking Point (1959), a collection of nine stories that depict characters experiencing various forms of intense psychological distress. This is only the second of du Maurier’s books I’ve read (the other is Rebecca, one of my favorite Gothic novels). So far, I have read the first two stories in The Breaking Point (“The Alibi” and “The Blue Lenses”), and I’m about midway through the third (“Ganymede”). I found the first an extremely unsettling depiction of a man’s dissociative descent into violent ideation, and I love the way the second story melds black comedy and surrealism. Du Maurier is an amazing prose stylist and a great writer of character interiority. She has a rare aptitude for building tension. I’m a little less than halfway through, but I can already tell this collection is going to be a favorite. Highly recommended for readers of all stripes.
Thorn’s own work repeatedly manages to repulse and terrify with evocative prose that works its way under your skin. For more information on the author and to keep up with his work, check out his website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads!
Aaron Dries: Author of The Fallen Boys, A Place for Sinners and House of Sighs
“As is my habit, I’ve got about five books on the cooker that I bounce back-and-forth between on the daily. First up, I’m loving CONVERSATIONS WITH MARK FROST by David Bushman, a candid insight into the co-creator of Twin Peaks’ process and inspirations. On the fiction-front, I’ve almost finished ARE SNAKES NECESSARY? by Brian DePalma and Susan Lehman, a mix of tawdry thriller, moody noir, political peekaboo, and meta film narrative. Pure DePalma. I just finished an excellent novelette that’s coming out soon called THE ATTIC TRAGEDY by J. Ashley-Smith, which oozes atmosphere and is quite high on the creepy-factor. And my comfort reads at the moment are IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote (it’s legitimately perfect) and NOBODY BELONGS HERE MORE THAN YOU by Miranda July, a funny and melancholic collection of stories that I just want to hug. A diverse bunch, for sure, but all are worthy of your time. Happy reading!”
Aaron Dries is one of the kindest, gentlest horror authors I have ever had the pleasure of meeting who quite frankly writes transgressive fiction that terrifies me on a cellular level with imagery that you can never un-read. To learn more about his writing and to keep up with the latest updates on his work, visit his website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.
Megan Hart: Author of Beneath the Veil and Little Secrets
“I just started reading this one. I think we picked it up at a used book store last summer. Anyway, my goal for 2020 was to read every book in the house that I had not yet read, before I could purchase any more or get any from the library. I have failed spectacularly. I’m not reading nearly as much as I should be. But I did just finish Oona Out of Order (mixed feelings) and so far, Dark Visions feels fun and old-school, but I’m only a chapter or so into it.”
Megan Hart is an award-winning author across multiple genres and I cannot recommend her work enough. Check out her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Glenn Rolfe: Author of Blood and Rain and the upcoming Until Summer Comes Around
Rolfe’s writings cover a remarkable spectrum of topics. To learn more, follow him on Twitter and find him on Goodreads!
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Lists
Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.
They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.
We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.
We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.
#1. Abigail
An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.
#2. Ready or Not
This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.
#3. Scream (2022)
While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.
#4 Southbound (The Way Out)
Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.
#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)
The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.
#6. Scream VI
Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.
#7. Devil’s Due
Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.
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News
Perhaps the Scariest, Most Disturbing Series of The Year
You may have never heard of Richard Gadd, but that will probably change after this month. His mini-series Baby Reindeer just hit Netflix and it’s a terrifying deep dive into abuse, addiction, and mental illness. What is even scarier is that it’s based on Gadd’s real-life hardships.
The crux of the story is about a man named Donny Dunn played by Gadd who wants to be a stand-up comedian, but it’s not working out so well thanks to stage fright stemming from his insecurity.
One day at his day job he meets a woman named Martha, played to unhinged perfection by Jessica Gunning, who is instantly charmed by Donny’s kindness and good looks. It doesn’t take long before she nicknames him “Baby Reindeer” and begins to relentlessly stalk him. But that is just the apex of Donny’s problems, he has his own incredibly disturbing issues.
This mini-series should come with a lot of triggers, so just be warned it is not for the faint of heart. The horrors here don’t come from blood and gore, but from physical and mental abuse that go beyond any physiological thriller you may have ever seen.
“It’s very emotionally true, obviously: I was severely stalked and severely abused,” Gadd said to People, explaining why he changed some aspects of the story. “But we wanted it to exist in the sphere of art, as well as protect the people it’s based on.”
The series has gained momentum thanks to positive word-of-mouth, and Gadd is getting used to the notoriety.
“It’s clearly struck a chord,” he told The Guardian. “I really did believe in it, but it’s taken off so quickly that I do feel a bit windswept.”
You can stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix right now.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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Movies
The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location
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.
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