News

John Dies at the End Saga Continues with Third Book on the Way

Published

7 years ago

March 8, 2017

Fans of David Wong’s effervescently deranged John Dies at the End saga can rejoice and prepare to ask themselves “what the hell did I just read?”. The third installment of the series is on its way.

The book – actually titled What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror – is now available for preorder with a release date set for October 3. The third installment will continue the “gruesome yet baffling adventures of John, Dave, Amy and other characters who may or may not still be alive”.

The first book, John Dies at the End, was adapted into a film by genre legend Don Coscarelli. If you’ve seen the movie, it’s remarkably loyal to (most of) the details of the book. His dedication to recreating the delirious energy of the book makes it clear that Coscarelli is a fan – he both wrote and directed the film version. That being said, the film only covers about a third of the action because, really, there’s a lot to cover, and the majority of it might be… challenging… to convince a producer that it should be committed to film.

Yes, that is a monster made of meat

Reading John Dies at the End is like consuming way too many psychotropic drugs with your best friend and listening to them describe an extraordinarily batshit crazy dream that they had. Told in the style of first-person narrative, each sentence is personal. It carries the complexity of an unreliable narrator with ease, building tension when appropriate to create horrific and hilariously bizarre scenes of confusion and carnage.

John Dies at the End was first published online as a webserial beginning in 2001, then as an edited manuscript in 2004, followed by a printed paperback in 2007 before it was published by Thomas Dunne Books in 2009. The events unfold in the (hopefully) fictional town of [Undisclosed] – an apex of unusual and supernatural activity.

The plot is difficult to describe, but in brief, two best friends (John and Dave) are exposed to a new drug called Soy Sauce that has the unsavory side effect of either brutally killing the user or unlocking their ability to see inter-dimensional beings – among other things. Needless to say, they find that they must become the most unlikely of unlikely heroes to stop evil forces from invading the universe.

The sequel, This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously Dude, Don’t Touch it, extends Wong’s delightfully specific descriptive writing style (there’s mention of a “turkey Voltron”, which, in context, is a helpful descriptor). It occasionally switches to a third-person narrative to follow the perspective of other main characters. While at first the transition is a bit jarring, it’s necessary to tell all sides of the much larger story.

In This Book is Full of Spiders, the town of [Undisclosed] is overrun with parasitic spiders that violently take over their hosts, however, it is not easy to tell who is infected and who isn’t. As everyone reacts to what they are certain is a zombie invasion, the reluctantly heroic team of John and Dave once again find themselves thrown into the center of the chaos.

David Wong (the pseudonym for Cracked editor Jason Pargin) has built a vivid world with a visceral and palpable absurdity. Both books have a high rating on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble, which is no small wonder. They’re well written, viciously captivating, and outrageously entertaining. We may have to sit tight until October 2017 for the next installment, but if Wong keeps up his track record, it should be well worth the wait.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

4 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

5 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

7 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.