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

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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!

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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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.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

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.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

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.”

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.

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

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28 years later

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.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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