News

(Author Interview) Hunter Shea talks Tortures of the Damned and The Dover Demon.

Published

9 years ago

September 2, 2015

I met Hunter Shea online. I’d just finished his novella, The Waiting (Samhain, 2014), and also just signed my first deal with the same publisher. I had heard nothing but great things about him and his work, and after reading The Waiting and then connecting with him via Facebook, I learned that the rumors were true.

I’ve since interviewed, been interviewed by, chatted/emailed with, and hung out with him. I admire the hell out of this guy as a writer and a person. He also happens to have not one, but two new releases (both novels-his second and third of 2015 after January’s Island of the Forbidden). Tortures of the Damned (Pinnacle/Kensington) and The Dover Demon (Samhain).

After meeting him and his family a couple weeks ago at his signing at the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine, I caught up with Mr. Hunter Shea for this new interview.

Glenn Rolfe (iHorror): Tortures of the Damned centers around a family dealing with this end of the world as we know it scenario. When writing it, did you think of your own family in that situation?

Hunter Shea: Absolutely. Living within sight of Manhattan, I worry all the time about the next 9/11 event. Just because nothing has happened over the past 14 years doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. We live in very dangerous times, and New York is a prime target. The Padillas are an average, hard working, loving family, just like my own. Keeping that in mind made the fear palpable for me as I wrote.

GR: Do you know a doomsday prepper like Buck?

HS: You have to remember, growing up in the 70s and 80s, I was also part of the Cold War culture. Monthly air raid tests were part of my childhood. I’ve met quite a few folks even back then with tricked out bomb shelters. I also knew a guy who was the ultimate prepper. I mean, he was ready not only for the end of the world, but how to defend himself and his family from anyone who crossed his path. There are more people than you realize that are set for when everything hits he fan.

GR: This is your second Pinnacle book. Are there any differences in how you write for them versus Samhain? And how do you decide which piece is going where?

HS: With Pinnacle, they’re more thriller oriented, so even though there are fantastical elements, there also has to be a kernel of truth at the heart of the story. The key is to get things moving in a hurry and take the reader on a ride that will leave them breathless. Yes, both books to date absolutely have horror elements, but I like to think they’re clinging to the edge of your seat horror. Samhain is wonderful in that our editor lets our creative selves just go with it. With Pinnacle, I work in tandem with my editor to craft a story.

GR: The Dover Demon has just released from Samhain. I got to hang with you at the Cryptozoology Museum here in Maine during one of your signings. What was it about the Dover Demon over say, Bigfoot or the Mothman, that made you have to create a story?

HS: First, I can’t thank you enough for coming to the museum. It was so great hanging out with you. The Dover Demon is completely perplexing. Is it an alien? Is it some strange creature? Is it a person with a deformity? Why did it only pop up for 2 nights in 1977? It’s a true mystery, one that has made a deep impression on people interested in cryptozoology. I wanted to tackle the true story and see what I could do with it, maybe offer an explanation for it, no matter how bizarre. I’d already taken on Bigfoot and The Montauk Monster (and another for Pinnacle next year that’s top secret for now), and I wanted to delve into the strange world of a creature that doesn’t get as much attention.

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GR: Are there any wild legends that remain untapped by you from New York or your stays in Maine? Have you ever seen or experienced something unexplained in one of these areas?

HS: There are so many, it’s impossible to go through them all here. I live at the tail end of the Hudson River Valley, host to countless UFO sightings in the 80s and 90s. I used to go out hunting for UFOs all the time. I saw an incredible one by accident with my wife (girlfriend at the time), mother, sister and thousands of others in 1988. That just fueled my fire. If you look, there are legends of strange creatures everywhere. One of my goals is to bring new life to them over the coming years.

GR: Of your Samhain books, which one do you wish more people would pick up and why?

HS: It would have to be Hell Hole. It was voted the #1 horror novel of 2014 by several prestigious horror-themed websites, but I think because it’s also a western, it didn’t get as much traction as it should have. It’s not cowboys and Indians. It’s haunted mines, wildmen, ghosts, black eyes kids and Djinn. It’s the single wildest ride I’ve ever written, with humor, romance and more action than you can poke a stick at. So come on pardners, saddle up!

GR: I know you’re a pretty prolific reader. Give me three or four pieces from 2015 that have stood out to you.

HS: I know it’s going to just go to his head, but I love Ronald Malfi’s Little Girls. That’s the kind of horror story I grew up on and love. I just finished Stephen King’s Finders Keepers. Loved it, especially the ending. I can’t wait for the next one. Others that have tripped me out have been your novella Boom Town, Greg Gifune’s Lords of Twilight and Kristopher Rufty’s Jagger.

GR: I Kill in Peace is listed as coming soon at the end of The Dover Demon. Is there anything you can tease us with in regards to that story? And do you have a release date yet?

HS: That’s a nasty little novella about a poor schmuck living in Maine whose life gets flipped upside down by a simple instant message on his work computer. Readers should be prepared for some tough stuff, because it doesn’t pull any punches. No release date yet, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be out early 2016.

Rapid Fire:

Hair metal song(s) that still crank you up? Tesla

Best new band you’ve been forced to go see live? New Year’s Day

King novel that you love that isn’t so popular? Gerald’s Game

Favorite non-horror book? Snow in August, Pete Hammil

Must have food to eat when you come up to Maine? The burger at the American Gastropub in Bridgton. Also, while you’re there, get a haircut at the Barber of Bridgton, who also cuts Stephen King’s hair.

Thanks, Hunter!

Hunter Shea is back again with a Pinnacle/Kensington paperback following his smash hit of The Montauk Monster last summer. This time the world could be ending!

Follow along using the hashtags: #TorturesoftheDamned #Apocalypse #RunforYourLife

SHOCK… First, the electricity goes—plunging the east coast in darkness after a devastating nuclear attack. Millions panic. Millions die. They are the lucky ones. AFTER SHOCK… Next, the chemical weapons take effect—killing or contaminating everything alive. Except a handful of survivors in a bomb shelter. They are the damned. HELL IS FOR HUMANS Then, the real nightmare begins. Hordes of rats force two terrified families out of their shelter—and into the savage streets of an apocalytic wasteland. They are not alone. Vicious, chemical-crazed animals hunt in packs. Dogs tear flesh, cats draw blood, horses crush bone. Roaming gangs of the sick and dying are barely recognizable as human. These are the times that try men’s souls. These are the tortures that tear families apart. This is hell on earth. The rules are simple: Kill or die.

Praise-

“A lot of splattery fun.”—Publishers Weekly “Harrowing, bloodsoaked.” —Jonathan Janz, Author of The Nightmare Girl “Frightening, gripping.”—Night Owl Reviews “Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author

Hunter Shea, Biography-

Hunter Shea is the author of the novels The Montauk Monster, Sinister Entity, Forest of Shadows, Swamp Monster Massacre, and Evil Eternal. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales and the Cemetery Dance anthology, Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror.

His obsession with all things horrific has led him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists and other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on. He lives in New York with his family and vindictive cat. He waits with Biblical patience for the Mets to win a World Series. You can read about his latest travails and communicate with him at www.huntershea.com.

PURCHASE!

You can purchase Tortures of the Damned in mass market paperback at more retail stores nationwide, as well as bookstores, both independent and chain.

You can also buy online at:

Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Tortures-Damned-Hunter-Shea/dp/0786034777

Barnes and Noble- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tortures-of-the-damned-hunter-shea/1120138038?ean=9780786034772

Giveaway!

One signed book from Hunter Shea of winner’s choice (or e-book) and a bookmark.

Copy this code to your blog:

<a class=”rcptr” href=”https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/231aa30b20/” rel=”nofollow” data-raflid=”231aa30b20″ data-theme=”classic” data-template=”” id=”rcwidget_yh8ouy9k”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Or use this link:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MjMxYWEzMGI1ZDE2MGYyYTgzYjk4NzVhYzhmMTdmOjIw/?

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Lists

Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody

Published

16 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

Abigail

#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.

Ready or Not

#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.

Scream (2022)

#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.

Southbound

#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.

V/H/S

#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.

Scream VI

#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.

Devil’s Due

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News

Perhaps the Scariest, Most Disturbing Series of The Year

Published

16 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

Published

22 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Timothy Rawles

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.