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Thommy Hutson’s ‘Jinxed’ is a Must Read for Classic Horror Fans

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I’ll admit I was a bit uncertain when I picked up Thommy Hutson‘s debut novel, Jinxed.

I’ve been a fan of Hutson’s work for years, especially Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy and Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, both of which he co-produced as well as some of the horror films he has written like Truth or Dare and Animal.

Still, a novel is a much different creature from a film script with its own set of rules, and from a critical standpoint, its own expectations, and there are far more examples of writers who can do one or the other than those who can do both.

As it turns out, Hutson was not only up to the task, he knocked it completely out of the park. The author presents his readers with an expertly paced, cinematic slasher in a setting that would make Agatha Christie proud, and should have film producers already bidding to adapt it for the screen.

In many ways, Jinxed is a blood-splattered love letter to the filmmakers whose franchises shaped the landscape of horror in the 80s and 90s, and just like many of those films, it all begins and ends with secrets that refuse to stay buried.

As the novel opens, Amanda Kincaid, the most promising acting talent at the very elite and even more secluded Trask Academy for the Performing Arts (think the high school from Fame only everyone here is filthy rich), is preparing to star in the school’s talent showcase attended by agents from all over the country as well as the wealthy donors who keep the school’s mahogany doors open.

The theater is deserted as she stands illuminated only by the singular ghost light in the center of the stage when she begins to hear noises and then to smell smoke. The theater is on fire and Amanda discovers there is no escape as she huddles in the orchestra pit and finally succumbs to the flames.

Flash forward…

It’s been almost 20 years since Amanda died in the fire at Trask Academy and her story has become an urban legend that no one entirely believes but can neither completely deny as the ruins of the old, burned-out theater still loom over the academy grounds.

A group of friends are preparing for this year’s showcase and have elected to stay on campus over Spring Break to continue rehearsals for the upcoming show. Little do they know that a killer is stalking the grounds of Trask Academy.

He wears a mask that is a twisted amalgam of the Comedy and Tragedy drama masks, and his plans for the students and their deaths have been in place for quite some time.

Hutson’s love of the genre is on every single page of Jinxed. From the naming of his characters (pay attention readers!) to the inescapable plot twists and turns, he expertly walks the razor-sharp edge between what is homage and what is simply derivative and makes it seem effortless.

The novel’s often gore-filled kill scenes are both brutal and beautiful in ways that recall Clive Barker’s Books of Blood while simultaneously reminding the reader of the theatricality of Argento’s Suspiria.

And yet, for all of its homage and the author’s obvious intensive understanding of the works of these genre giants, Jinxed is a unique novel that stands easily on its own merits as a work by a first time author.

At just under 300 pages, Jinxed is a fast read that pulls the reader along in its momentum to a conclusion that seems both inevitable and shocking, and as I sit here typing this review I’m reminded again of the Killer’s mask and how it works on so many levels as the ultimate symbol for the book as a whole.

Inevitable and shocking. Brutal and beautiful. Homage and originality. Comedy and Tragedy.

Thommy Hutson could easily take on the mantle as the next Lois Duncan, and I’m sure many reviewers will no doubt draw those comparisons, but after reading his debut, I’m not sure that he isn’t better off being the first Thommy Hutson, instead.

After all, it seems that guy has a LOT of talent.

Jinxed is currently available in multiple formats via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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